Heart of Darkness
by Draco Blade
Summary: Sequel to Together Forever. Ten years after Destron's defeat, Lloyd and Sheena must stop a new evil: the HalfElf Emperor. But, as they journey on, they discover that their greatest enemy was once their best friend. Please Read & Review!
1. Prologue: A Heart Darkens

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Tales of Symphonia, or any of its themes or characters. If I did, I wouldn't be writing this. I would be making the sequel.

**A/N: **Draco Blade is back, Baby! Apparently my crisis was shorter than planned. Alright...

Now, as I said in my farewell in "Together Forever", this story takes place ten years after "Together Forever" ends. However, this prologue takes place SIX years after "Together Forever." Understand? Good... Now for quick reference, here is what the group has been doing in the past six years:

Lloyd and Sheena: married and living with children in Luin. Read further to find their occupations.

Colette and Zelos: married and living in Iselia with one child. They both work as teahers.

Regal: President of Lazareno company. Still single. Has helped re-build and create six new towns.

Kratos: Still on Derris-Kharlan. Has visited Symponia multiple times due to new warping technology manufactured by Lazareno

Genis and Raine: Continued their journey to stop half-elf discrimination

Presea: journeyed with Genis and Raine for years, then left to work with Regal recently.

Now, a big thank you to everyone who reviewed in my farewell. I love you guys! Thank you soooo much for understanding. I honestly thought I would lose my fans. Thanks again for understanding. Now on to the story you have all been waiting for: "Heart of Darkness"

**Prologue: A Heart Darkens**

It had been six years since Destron's defeat. Six years without another world-ending disaster. Six years without any evil or danger whatsoever. That was all about to change. For, while seven of the Great Symphonian Nine completed their journeys, two did not. Two failed in their dream. And for one of them, that consequence was death. For the other, it cost him his sanity. This story is a tale of broken dreams, of loss, and of discrimination. A tale that tells of the weaknesses and the strengths of the human heart. Even if your only half-human...

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It was raining heavily. The clouds completely covered the sun as they rained water down upon the inhabitants of a small, isolated village. Iselia. The town people were imitating the rain. Thick tears ran down their faces as well. The bad weather was almost welcome today of all days. One of the Great Symphonian Nine had died. Today was the funeral. The funeral for Raine Sage.

Genis looked up as he heard a pounding on the doors of the Martel Temple. He was alone in the temple, mourning for his sister. The funeral began would begin in a few hours, and he was in no way prepared to accept his sister's death. Still, the nineteen year-old boy stood from his praying position to answer the door. As the door creaked open, two figures entered the building, soaked with rain.

The first figure was a male, wearing what appeared to be a blue naval jacket. It had two rows of buttons down its front. Below, he wore a pair of thick black pants, and blue boots. His hands were un-gloved, and he wore a red cape on his back, showing his authority. The man's spiky brown hair was covered in water, giving it a certain shine. Genis recognized him as the newly appointed Governor-General of Luin.

Standing next to the Governor-General was his wife. She had long, black hair pulled back into a ponytail. She wore a traditional Mizuho successor kimono, only this one was purple. She had on a sad face, and she was hugging herself from the cold. Her husband noticed and wrapped his arm around her.

Genis smiled at this. He knew the Governor-General and his wife better than anyone. To him, they were best friends. To him, they weren't Governor-General and wife. They were just Lloyd and Sheena. (For those of you wondering, Sheena is wearing her "Successor" costume, only this one is purple.)

"I am so sorry we're late," Lloyd said, shaking himself of the rain. "If I knew, I swear I would have come ahead of time!"

"It's okay," Genis said, his face returning to that of a mourning brother. "Where're the kids?" he asked, noticing that their three children were obviously absent.

"In Mizuho for the weekend," Sheena said, smiling. "We didn't think they would want to see this."

"Good idea," Genis said, taking a nearby seat in the Temple. "I'M not sure I want to see this."

"I'm sorry," Lloyd said, placing his hand on his best friend's shoulder. Surprisingly, Genis shoved him off, angered.

"Don't touch me," he said. "I don't need your pity. I've enough of that out there..." He finished his sentence referring to the people outside with spite.

"We don't mean to offend you, Genis," Sheena said, looking at him with woeful eyes. The twenty-six year-old woman knew exactly what he was going through. She had gone through it more times than anyone should have to. Corrine, Yuan, Igaguri... All had died when she was his age.

"We are truly sorry about this, Genis," Lloyd said.

"I...I know," Genis said, feeling tears form in his eyes yet again. "I just can't accept that she's gone. She was always there, she was always..." The young man broke off as another sob escaped his throat. "Why did it have to be her!"

"It was because she was brave," Sheena said, placing her arm around the Half-elf. He didn't nudge her away this time. He actually welcomed it this time. "Because she was willing to stand up for what she believed in."

"What exactly did happen?" Lloyd asked. Sheena gave him a look that said 'not-now-cant-you-see-hes-upset?'

"Not now, Lloyd," she said to her husband.

"No...no, it's okay," Genis said, wiping his eyes. He took a deep breath and blew his nose. "You were her friends. You deserve to know what happened. We were traveling around the world, together. We were trying to stop half-elf discrimination. In some places, we succeeded. In others, though, we only mad it worse. One day, we were chased out of Sybak. They still refuse to accept their prejudice. We ran until the village was out of sight, then we set up camp. That night, they came..." he trailed off as another sob ripped through him.

"It was a gang of humans, they attacked our camp. I defeated most them, but one got through. He...he stabbed Raine in the heart. She was dead before I got to her. I killed that one. The others I just knocked unconscious, but that one, I...I..."

"It's okay," Lloyd said, placing his hand on Genis again. Once again, Genis pulled away, and stood up, facing both of them.

"Don't touch me, you human filth!" he cried, punching Lloyd in the gut. Lloyd didn't even flinch. As Governor-General, he was quite strong enough to take a single punch. Especially one from Genis. Even so, he took a step back to show surprise.

"Genis, what's wrong with you!" he cried. "I'm not the one that did it! I'm your best friend!"

"I have no friends!" Genis exclaimed. "Where were my friends when we were chased out of villages? Where were my friends when I was forced to fight for my life? Where were my friends when my sister died!"

With that, the half-elf stormed out of the room, into the raining world of loss. He left his two best friends staring out at him, both feeling horrible.

"Please, do not worry," a quiet voice said behind them. Lloyd and Sheena turned to see a girl standing before them. She was, too, was nineteen, but she had wisdom well into her thirties. She was still rather short. Her pink hair fell to her waist, and she wore a black dress for mourning. The only thing unusual was that she kept a large axe tied to her back, even though she was in a dress. It was Presea.

"Please, do not worry," she repeated. "He will recover in time. I am sorry you had to see him in this condition. He is in denial, he refuses to accept his sister's loss. He does not mean what he said, he is only venting."

"Presea, is that you?" Sheena said, looking at the girl. She had grown quite a lot since they last saw her. Lloyd and Sheena still held constant contact with Colette, Zelos, Regal, and even Kratos, but were unable to do so with the other three. Genis, Presea, and Raine had been constantly on the move for years, never staying in one place for too long. It had been hard to contact them, Because of this, Lloyd and Sheena had only seen the three about four times since Destron's defeat. And now they would never see Raine again...

"Yes, it is I," Presea said, her voice filled with sadness. "Please excuse Genis' behavior, he doesn't mean it."

"Yeah, we know," Lloyd said. "Were you with them when..."

"No, I was not," Presea answered. "I left them one year ago. I work for Lazareno now. I feel now that I should never have left."

"Why did you leave?" Lloyd asked.

"There were two reasons," Presea explained. "The first was that I sensed that their dream...was failing. I feared for them, told them to stop while they were ahead. They were already considered heroes in several cities, where many half-elves were fee from discrimination. I told them to take a break and wait. They did not, they continued on. And things got worse. More and more people were turning on us. In many cities, mostly in the Tethe'alla hemisphere, the roots of prejudice run far too deep. They refused to change their ways. In this way, we had freed the half-elves of Sylvarant, and made matters worse for the ones in Tethe'alla. And still, they continued on. Because of this, I begged them to stop, if only for a short while. I left the group shortly after to work for Regal."

"What was the other reason?" Sheena asked, afraid of the answer.

"Genis," Presea said. "The reason I had originally joined the group was to get closer to Genis. I loved Genis for years. But as time went on, he ignored me. He became so obsessed in his mission, I was left behind. Finally, I...proposed to him. And he said no."

"I'm sorry," Sheena said, looking down.

"Don't be," Presea said. "I suppose it was the way it was meant to be. I just hope that Genis can recover."

"Yeah," Lloyd said, looking out the window of the temple. It was still raining heavily. Rain. Raine. How ironic. "I hope so, too. I hope so too..."

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There was silence as they lowered the coffin into the ground. Lloyd held Sheena close as she sobbed into his chest. The other followers were likewise crying or stricken with grief as the body of Raine Sage was lowered into the ground. Lloyd looked over at Colette and Zelos.

The two were holding hands, and Colette was crying, sobbing very loudly. Zelos was too much in grief to cry, and was instead staring at the muddy ground beneath him. Colette slowly reached up and leaned on his shoulder, crying into his neck. Zelos just wrapped his arm around her absently, still staring at the ground.

Next, Lloyd looked at Regal. The man was almost exactly like Zelos. He was staring into the ground, tears rolling of his cheeks into the mud below. Lloyd knew that Raine had always been the closest to Regal, and her loss was terrible to him. Some had even believed that the two shared romantic feelings for each other. Now, they would never know.

PResea was the next one that Lloyd saw. She was much like Lloyd. She was staring into the distance, not crying, not focused. She had the look in her eyes that she had when she was controlled by the Cruxis Crystal. She didn't seem to be focused on the reality at hand.

Finally, Lloyd looked over to his right, where Genis was standing. The young man's expression was one that Lloyd couldn't quite interpret. The half-elf wasn't crying, or staring into the ground. Instead, his eyes looked...unfocused. Like he was in deep thought. His body was shaking slightly, rocking from side to side.

"Go to him," Sheena said, seeing that her husband was concerned for his best friend. "He needs you now, more than ever."

"Yes, you're right," Lloyd said, letting go of Sheena. The twenty-four year-old man headed towards the nineteen year-old. "Genis, are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

"No, of course I'm not okay," Genis replied with spite. "My only sister is dead, how do you think I feel? Okay? No."

"I'm sorry If I was harsh earlier," Lloyd said, apologetic.

"It's okay," Genis said. "I understand. You were doing it out of concern, not anything else. I was wrong to call you filth."

"Genis," Lloyd started. "I promise I will help you through this. I'm sorry I haven't always been there to help you, but I will be there for you now. I promise this to you."

"Don't bother," Genis said, turning to ace his friend. What Lloyd saw there frightened him. Genis' eyes glowed with something other than grief. "I will make sure this never happens again. I will make sure that the people that did this pay. I will have revenge for my sister's loss."

"Genis, that's not what Raine would have wanted," Lloyd replied.

"Once again, you're right. I'm sorry I said that," Genis said. "Now, if you don't mind, I need some time to myself."

"Of course," Lloyd replied, turning away and walking towards Sheena.

"Well, did you help?" she asked as he approached. He shook his head in reply.

"To be honest," Lloyd said, looking over his shoulder to see his half-elf friend walking away from the funeral. "To be honest, I think I made him worse."

The couple watched Genis go as the funeral continued on. The half-elf never stopped. In fact, he began to talk to himself.

"Pathetic humans will believe anything," he said, grinning madly. "Poor naive Lloyd. Does he truly think I don't plan on revenge? It is ALL I can plan. I will have vengeance for you sister, even if it means I have to destroy every human on this pathetic planet. I will make your dream a reality. The half-elves will be freed. The humans and elves will fall. And the half-elves will rule. Even if I have to do it myself..."

**A/N: **Creepy, no? Remember, this is only a prologue. The real chapters will take place ten years after "Together Forever" and four years after this prologue. In chapter one, you'll get a good look at Lloyd and Sheena's home life together.

I hope you all liked that I made Lloyd the Governor-General of Luin. I couldn't think of anyone else that deserved the title better! Just so you know: Sheena is not going to be the chief og Mizuho, even if Igaguri is dead in this story. I decided to make Orochi the chief instead, and allow Sheena to live her life married to Lloyd in Luin. She is currently a housewife, busy raising the children (who you will meet in the next chapter!)

Now, REVIEW PLEASE. You all know how much I love reviews! I love them more than taffy! And I'm a man that enjoys his taffy...

Keeps your eyes peeled (ouch!) for chapter 1: A New Threat

PEACE OUT!


	2. A New Threat

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Tales of Symphonia, or any of its themes or characters. But, MAN would it be cool if I did!

**A/N: **Well, it's about time I actually got the real story going. Everyone seemed to like the Mithos/Genis connection, and I hoped you all saw the event I practically recreated (coughMartelcough). This part of the story actually takes place ten years after "Together Forever." That means that Lloyd is twenty-eight, Sheena is thirty, and Genis is twenty-three. Raine has been dead for four years now.

So you know, the following is another list of what the 'Symphonia Nine" has been up to since the funeral:

Lloyd and Sheena - married and living in Luin. Lloyd is the Governor-General of the thriving city, and Sheena is a housewife, living at home with the three kids.

Colette and Zelos - married and living in Iselia as teachers. Have been in constant contact with Sheena and Lloyd. Have two kids.

Genis - has been mysteriously absent from Symphonia. He has not been seen or heard from for three straight years. No one knows where he is, or even if he's still alive.

Regal - still works as president of Lazareno, which has been very successful. Has rebuilt over three towns, and built four new ones. Still in constant contact with all but Genis.

Presea - Works for Lazareno, but hasn't been the same since Raine's death. She hasn't talked or visited anyone but Regal for years. Recently disappeared and whereabouts are unknown.

Kratos - Still lives on derris-Kharlan, but can make monthly visits using warping technology. Has been in constant contact with all but Genis.

Also, I wanted to apologize for anyone that was upset at the death of Raine. I seem to be good at killing off characters. First Yuan, now Raine... The only reason I did that was for the obvious effect on Genis. Raine may not be one of my personal favorites, but she is definitely not one of my least. I respect all Raine lovers, and apologize to any that were upset at the last chapter. Sorry!

I want to take this opportunity to thank many people. First of all, the entire old gang. I want to thank everyone who read and reviewed my story "Together Forever." It was because of those people that my first story was such a huge success! Thank you all! Now, I want to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter—thanks!

As usual, I have a review goal. I want "Heart of Darkness" to get 100 reviews, just like Together Forever! You guys think you can do that! I want 100 reviews, so review away!

Now, on to the real story, "Heart of Darkness" chapter 1: A New Threat!

**Chapter 1: A New Threat**

The sun was just barely rising on the capitol city of Luin. Ever since the worlds had been combined, Luin had become the largest city in Symphonia. It had quickly been named the capitol of Symphonia, with the city now expanding for miles. And right now, the sun was just rising over the lake, peering into the window of the Governor-General's house. The most powerful man on the planet.

And right now, the Governor-General, the most powerful man on the planet...was sound asleep. Well, not sound—he was snoring rather loudly. His brown hair fell over his eyes, and he had his arm wrapped around the lady sleeping next to him. Both were naked, as their tenth anniversary had been last night. He had simply wanted to go on a night out, but of course, his wife had other plans. And he rather liked those plans even better.

His wife's black hair was slightly mussed, and let out of its usual ponytail(?). She was nuzzled up next to her husband, smiling gently. As the sun ran through the window, she began to stir. As her eyes opened, she looked at the man laying beside her. He was still snoring loudly. She grinned. She never was able to break him of that habit.

"Wake up, Lloyd," the lady said, shaking her husband violently.

""Heh? Wha..." he yawned, looking up at his wife. "So early?" he asked, grinning.

"Come on, Governor-General Aurion..." Sheena said, getting out of bed. "You have work to do!"

"I know, I know," Lloyd said, getting out of bed himself. He got on his blue uniform and black pants. He got out his red cape, but decided not to put that on until after breakfast. Sheena likewise changed into her Mizuho successor kimono. Lloyd grinned as he saw her.

Even though Orochi had become Mizuho's chief, Sheena still continued to wear Mizuho clothes. She had asked him on her wedding day whether he wanted to accept the duty as chief. Orochi readily accepted the job, glad to know that Sheena could have a normal life. Lloyd had no problem with this. He thought the Mizuho robes and kimonos fit Sheena perfectly.

"Come on, dear," Sheena said, walking over to the only half-changed Governor-General. "The kids will be up soon." As if on cue, the couple heard a large thumping noise from the rooms above them. Their kids had the three upstairs bedrooms, while Lloyd and Sheena got the one on the first floor.

The couple smiled as they heard three sets of feet running down the stairs. The first two ran down quickly, with much thumping and noise. The last child walked down slowly, calmly taking his time.

"Moooooooom!" cried a young female voice. Sheena walked out of the room as she saw her three children in the breakfast nook.

"Yes, what is it, Anna?" Sheena asked, looking at her only daughter. The girl's long brown hair was braided into a single, long ponytail. She looked up at Sheena with large, violet eyes.

"Corrine stole my cereal!" she complained, pointing at her twin brother. Despite being twins at the age of nine, Corrine looked very much different than his sister. He had spiky hair, like his father's, but it was black, like Sheena's. He looked at the two with large brown eyes.

"I swear I didn't do a thing!" he said as a box of cereal fell from behind his back. His face changed into one of surprise as he dropped it. "Uh..."

"Now Corrine, stop playing tricks on your sister," Sheena said, tugging Corrine on the ear. "And, Anna? You're a big girl now, you can handle Corrine on your own, okay?"

"Yes, Mom," the twins said, grinning mischievously. The two ran to the table and began to eat, completely forgetting their argument. Sheena shook her head. Those two were always getting into trouble. She turned to her last child.

"How did you sleep, Kratos?" she asked, referring to her red-haired seven year-old.

"Surprising well, considering I must sleep next to those two," replied the seven year old. Despite only being seven, Kratos was mature and wise beyond his siblings. Sheena was always surprised by her youngest offspring. He was calm, quiet, and wise. Just like his grandfather. He slowly walked towards the table, taking his own bowl of cereal as his siblings chugged theirs down.

Sheena walked back to her room, checking on her husband. He was completely dressed now. He smiled as she entered the room.

"Good morning," he said, kissing her. "How're the sprouts?" he asked, grinning.

"They're fine, just a little argument," Sheena answered. "Corrine stole Anna's cereal again."

"And Kratos just stood by and watched, right?" Lloyd said, grinning. "That kid is the spitting image of my father!"

"That he is," Sheena said, wrapping her arms around Lloyd as he inspected his appearance in the mirror. "And Corrine looks just like his father!"

"Yeah," Lloyd agreed, fixing his gloves. "And you and Anna could be twins."

"Except for the twenty year difference..." Sheena said, teasing him. "And the hair."

"Corrine and Anna just need to switch hair color, that's all," Lloyd said, laughing as he headed out into the breakfast nook, Sheena next to him.

"Uh, Dad?" Corrine asked from the doorway. "There's a man here to see you."

"Really?" Lloyd asked, unaware that anyone was to see him this early at his own house. "Who is it?"

"He had a red Mizuho uniform on," Corrine explained, walking towards his father. "And he won't lower his hood, so I can't see his face."

"Kuchinawa," Lloyd and Sheena said in unison. The Ninja had become the Mizuho ambassador in recent years. After returning to Mizuho, he was welcomed back and forgiven. After that, he had taken any chance to redeem himself properly. So, he became the Mizuho ambassador.

"Thanks Corrine," Lloyd said, ruffling the boy's hair. The boy grinned as he returned back to his seat at the table. Lloyd walked on to the doorway, spotting the red ninja waiting at attention.

"Governor-General Aurion," he said greeted, bowing. "Ms. Aurion," he said, bowing again. Sheena blushed as he did this.

"Please, Kuchinawa, it's just Lloyd and Sheena," she explained. "You've known us for years!"

"Yes, I am sorry," Kuchinawa apologized. "Greetings aside, I have terrible news for you," he said, to Lloyd. Lloyd's face changed into a concerned one.

"Why, what is wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"There is trouble brewing," Kuchinawa said, holding out his hand to give Lloyd a piece of parchment. "Recently, many of our people have gone missing, presumed kidnapped. The same is happening in other cities as well. We, however, have been suffering the most."

"Do you have any idea who is behind it?" Lloyd asked. Kuchinawa just stared at him.

"Read the parchment," he said. Lloyd slowly unraveled the paper and read it off. It read:

_People of Mizuho—_

_You have surely noticed the missing people of your village._

_It has been demanded that you move your village, _

_for the land is needed in my new world order._

_Your people are my captives, my prisoners._

_If you ever want them to return, follow my demands_

_and leave your land. It belongs to me, now._

—_As ordered by his supreme majesty,_

_The Half-Elf Emperor_

"The Half-Elf Emperor?" Lloyd asked, looking at Kuchinawa. "Who is he, and what does he mean by 'new world order'?"

"I do not know," Kuchinawa answered, shaking his head. "The parchment you hold is the only evidence of the so-called Emperor. However, Mizuho is not the only city in danger. Towns such as Ozette, Altamira, and even Meltokio have received such warnings. This 'Emperor' is planing something, and it is not for the good of Symphonia."

"Agreed," Lloyd said. "But what do you suppose we should do about it?"

"My brother, Orochi, has requested your presence in Mizuho," Kuchinawa said. "He has also asked that Sheena accompany you. We fear there is war coming, and we want to settle this now."

"Indeed," Lloyd said. "Very well, We shall come. We can be ready in a few hours."

"Very well, I shall wait for you at the city's gates," Kuchinawa said. He threw down a card of some sort, and a thick cloud of smoke enveloped everyone. Then, he was gone. Lloyd looked to Sheena.

"Well, you are coming, are you not?" he asked. She smiled.

"Of course. If Mizuho is in danger, I'm there."

The two entered their house to pack. Within an hour, they were ready to go. They informed their children that he would be leaving on a diplomatic trip. The three children would remain here, under the care of the Assistant Governor-General, Pietro. Two hours later, the pair was ready to leave, and waiting at the city's gates with Kuchinawa and Pietro. The kids were at school for the time being.

"I'm leaving the city in your care, Pietro," Lloyd informed him. "I'm sure you'll do just fine."

"Thank you, sir," Pietro said, shaking Lloyd's hand. "I hop you have a safe trip. I don't want to hear you've gone and fought this Emperor. Remember what happened at the Plandria uprising?"

"I told you that wasn't my fault!" Lloyd argued. "I killed that leader in self-defense! He was coming at me, I have three witnesses!"

"I'm just joking, Lloyd!" Pietro said, laughing. "I'll see you soon."

"Good-bye, Pietro!" Sheena said, waving as she boarded her Rheaird. Lloyd got on after her, holding her waist.

"Let us go, then," Kuchinawa said, boarding the Rheaird that Lloyd and Sheena had lent him. "We must deal with this threat right away."

"Like he said," Lloyd said, hugging Sheena tighter as she started the throttle.

"We're off to Mizuho!" she said, taking off. The couple grinned as they took off into the sky, following the red ninja.

**A/N: **Sorry if not much happened in this chapter, but I had to start somewhere. I hop you all enjoyed meeting the kids. For those of you that want to know the kids full names, here they are:

Corrine Dirk Aurion, Anna Fiona Auion, and Kratos Yuan Aurion.

That's right, the kids are all named after relatives and dear friends. I thought that was appropriate, knowing Lloyd and Sheena. The real actuon/adventure stuff will start next chapter, don't worry. This story will probably be about eight to ten chapters long, it depends. I already have about four or five chapters already planned, and more to create.

Now, I want to mention that this story has priority over my other stories. However, I still won't be able to update as quickly because of this. I have three other stories to write. Not to mention that I'm currently writing a novel, as those of you that have read my profile know. SO, I have to balalnce my summer writing fanfiction and writing my novel. But, I'll do my best to update quickly and regularly!

Remember: 100 reviews! So, Review away!

PEACE OUT!


	3. The Invasion Of Mizuho

**Disclaimer: **I don not own Tales of Symphonia, or any of its themes or characters. And that's probably a good thing, considering how much I'm butchering their plots and characters...(coughRainecoughGeniscough)

**A/N: **Well, I'm glade everyone liked the last chapter, and I regret that nothing actually happened in it. I had to start somewhere! Don't worry, however, for this chapter is the start of the action/adventure I've promised. Can you say 'War in Mizuho'? Heh heh heh...

Secondly, thanks for all of the reviews. I've finally plotted everything out, and have decided that there will be a total of nine chapters. One prologue, followed by eight story chapters. Because of this, my dream of another 100 reviews can probably be reached. I got 130 review in "Together Forever", so I think I can probably reach 100 here, too. But that's up to you guys, not me!

Shameless plug: REVIEW. Now enjoy:

**Chapter Two: The Invasion of Mizuho**

"So, I would like to finish this with as little trouble as possible," Orochi explained.

Lloyd, Sheena, and Kuchinawa had arrived in Mizuho over an hour ago. After landing and packing their Rheairds, the three had proceeded to the chief's hut. Orochi had been delighted to see them, and after the greetings had ended, Orochi had described their current predicament. The Emperor was going to continue kidnaping citizens unless they moved. But Orochi didn't negotiate with terrorists.

"I agree," Lloyd said, nodding his head. "I will send a portion of the Luin army to protect your city. In the meantime, we will try to negotiate with this 'Emperor.' Do you have any idea where he is located?"

Orochi shook his head. "No, we do not. The Emperor refuses to give away his location or even to speak with us," he explained. "As you have no doubt heard, other cities have received these threats to move. We, however, are so far the only city with missing people. It seems the Emperor wants a large amount of land for whatever he is planning."

"Have you even tried to contact him?" Sheena asked. Orochi looked at her with his usual glare.

"We have no way to contact him!" he exclaimed. "His messages always magically appear in the office of the town leader! We believe the Emperor must be a powerful magician. But we have no way to find out anything about him."

"How come I wasn't contacted of this before?" Lloyd asked. "I'm the Governor-General! I should of heard about this already!"

"It is because the Emperor forbids the towns he threatens to contact outside cities. We are the first to contact anyone outside his rule," Orochi explained. "He has threatened to attack the city because we contacted you, but we needed help. We took a very big chance by contacting you."

"Well, you made the right decision by coming to me," Lloyd explained. "I will contact the army as soon as possible. Until then, what other cities are under his control except yours?"

"Well..." Orochi thought about it. "As far as our network has detected, he currently has rule over Mizuho, Ozette, Altamira, and even Meltokio! Not to mention the mountain city of Forwen (A/N: Remember how I said that Regal's company created many new towns? Well Forwen is one of them. It is located near the Latheon Gorge.)"

"What about Old Heimdall?" Lloyd asked. "Anything from there?"

"Now, Heimdall was never rebuilt, remember?" Orochi said. "Ever since that incident with Destron, the Elves abandoned Heimdall completely. They are all in New Heimdall now."

(A/N: another town I made Regal create for the elves. Since Heimdall had already been virtually destroyed twice, with Mithos and with Destron, the elves decided to abandon it. They live in a new town called New Heimdall, located above the Gaoracchia Forest, near the Temple of Lightning.)

"I realize that," Lloyd reassured him. "However, it seems that Heimdall is the center of this little 'Empire.' Perhaps we should take a look around there, just to be sure."

"Very well," Orochi said. Turning away from them, he called three ninjas forward. "I am giving you three the duty to keep tabs on Old Heimdall. Report back anything odd that you three see. I expect daily reports."

The three ninjas bowed and departed in large bursts of smoke. Orochi turned back to them. "Now, how about some lunch?" he asked, smiling largely/. "I would be a terrible host if I were to just let two old friends starve in my company! Please, sit."

The three took their seats and Kuchinawa left to go get the food. As his young brother left, Orochi shook his head and Sheena smiled.

"Is he still set on redeeming himself?" she asked him with a smile. Orochi chuckled lightly.

"That he is," he answered. "It seems Kuchinawa will not be happy with himself until he saves all of Mizuho!"

"He still hasn't forgiven himself?" Lloyd asked. "That's sad."

"He still feels horrible about abandoning the tribe and attacking Sheena," Orochi explained. "He feels that his deeds were unforgivable or something of that sort. But I am more than happy with his progress."

"So am I," Sheena responded. "He's been nothing but helpful for all these years. I actually feel sorry for him."

"Don't worry about it," Orochi reassured them. Kuchinawa will come to his senses eventually. But enough talk of the sad. Let us hear of the glad! How are your children lately?"

"They are fine, Orochi," Lloyd responded. "They are just growing up far too quickly."

"Are Corrine and Anna still trouble makers?" Orochi asked with a smile. He had removed his large blue mask, revealing his black hair and smiling face. "I remember the last time they were here. I still can't unclog that darn well."

"Sorry about that," Sheena said, laughing. "You know those two! Always kidding around, and never getting anything done! I do not think I will see the day when they take something seriously."

"They are kids, that is how kids should be!" Orochi replied with a laugh. "And what of little Kratos?"

"He, too, is growing up too fast," Lloyd replied with a smile. "I feel that he is more mature than I am at times!"

"That's because he is..." Sheena said, grinning at him.

"Hey!" Lloyd grinned back and gave her a gentle shove, to which both Sheena and Orochi laughed.

"Well, I can see that the Aurion family is getting along just fine!" Orochi laughed as Lloyd and Sheena grinned at each other.

"Now we just need to get you a girlfriend, Orochi!" Lloyd laughed. Orochi shrugged his shoulders.

"When I meet the right girl, I will know! Until then, I am content as a bachelor," he replied.

"That just sounds like an excuse."

"Lloyd!" Sheena shoved him back at his rude comment. All three laughed as Lloyd attempted to apologize. However, their laughter was interrupted by a huge explosion outside. Jumping to their feet, all three drew out weapons.

Lloyd drew out his Material Blades that were constantly with him. In fact, he never left home unarmed. Sheena drew out her Asura cards. They were the cards that Kuchinawa had given her, and she treasured them. Orochi drew out a long sword himself, eyes darting around the room.

As the three began to leave the house, Kuchinawa came running in. "Brother!" he cried. "The city is under attack! We need your help." Ans with that, the red ninja ran out the door, drawing his weapons. As the four left, Kuchinawa could be seen running a four enemy soldiers.

Lloyd and Sheena gasped as they saw who was attacking them. Desians! There were about three hundred Desians, maybe more, charging through the gates of Mizuho. The three watched as Kuchinawa approached the four closest Desians. Drawing his weapons, he sliced down two immediately, spinning around. Within seconds, he had struck down the other two. Not a sound had been made. The red ninja then ran off, heading deeper into the battle.

Orochi gasped as he saw what had happened. The Desians had broken through the gates, and were setting fire to various houses. The ones not starting fires were hunting innocent citizens. Angered, Orochi drew his sword and charged at the closest Desian, impaling him through the chest. Around him, many ninjas had joined the fray. A huge battle was underway, with Desians and ninjas fighting for their lives.

Sheena drew her cards and began to run into the battle as well. She cried seal after seal, striking down Desian after Desian. "_Pyre Seal!_" "_Demon Seal!_" "_Cyclone Seal!_" Desian sfell left and right, catching on fire, and being thrown into the air. Sheena ran at them, cards blazing with rage. She sliced them forward and back, wounding and killing the Desian enemy.

Lloyd was, surprisingly, the last one to enter the battle. A grin came upon his face as he saw about a dozen Desians surround him. His eyes glowed a bright gold as he concentrated deeply. Swinging his Material Blades, he let out a cry. The first six Desians were frozen solid. And the last six were scorched and burst into flames. And then Lloyd truly entered the battle.

Running in, he swung his blades expertly, striking down Desians left and right. Every time he swung one of the Blades, a Desian fell to his feet. He hacked through them with ease, never even breaking a sweat. He turned as he heard a ninja fall behind him.

He saw that ten Desians were currently on Orochi, ignoring the ninja they had just struck down. His weapon had been knocked from his hands, and he was now defenseless. Growling, Lloyd turned towards them.

"I demand you leave the Chief alone!" he commanded. At this, the Desians just faced him and laughed.

"Oh yeah? By who's authority?" they asked, still laughing.

Lloyd could only smile. "By MY authority!" he hollered. Suddenly, his eyes glowed a deep golden. His Blades glowed Red and Blue as flames ran up their blades. The Desians backed up as the saw the figure before them glowing. As they backed up, Lloyd's body was surrounded by a purple ball of energy. Swinging his blades forward, the energy ball surrounding him exploded. A huge purple flash filled the block as Lloyd's attack ripped through the Desians. The purple energy flashed through the square, destroying any Desians within contact.

As the dust cleared and the attacks settled, ninjas and Desians alike stopped as the saw only two figures remain in the clearing. Lloyd and Orochi. The attack had vaporized thirty Desians instantly. A crater was indented into the ground, showing where Lloyd's attack had exploded.

Lloyd, still glowing, turned to face the remaining Desians. The hundred that were left all started back. A few even ran away.

"I believe this is where you surrender," Lloyd explained. The Desians all dropped their weapons. "Good, now you will tell me who sent you and why."

"That is not for you to be concerned about," a voice said. Lloyd turned to see a lone figure watching from the gate. The figure was obviously female, Lloyd could tell, but had a hood pulled over her head to hide her face.

"Well, too bad!" Sheena cried. "Now tell us who you are."

"Why, Sheena," the figure said, facing the girl. "You already know who I am." And with that, the figure drew back her hood. Lloyd and Sheena both gasped. No, it couldn't be...

"Presea..." Sheena whispered. She was right. It was Presea. But she had changed.

Presea was now twenty-three and a lot had changed. Her pink hair was now cut and short, falling just to her shoulders. Her body was lean and muscular, but her face was very different. Her face was hardened and unwrinkled, like a warrior's. And her eyes...her eyes looked like they were when she had been under the control of the Cruxis Crystal. Her eyes were empty.

"That is right," she said, spite in her voice. "Presea Combatir, loyal servant of the Half-Elf emperor!"

"But why, Presea?" Sheena asked. "Who is the Emperor? What is he planning?"

"Do you honestly believe I would tell you such things?" Presea said, a small grin creeping on her face. "My master does not wish to be known, so I will not reveal his identity."

"Then what are you doing here?" Lloyd asked. "Why has he sent you here?"

"To attack this pathetic village, of course!" Presea said, staring at them. "Mizuho has ignored my master's wishes. So it must be destroyed." She turned to the Desians slowly. "Return to the base! The Emperor has given me the duty to finish your mission," she commanded them. Bowing, the Desians all teleported away back to who knows where.

"And as for Mizuho..." she said, the hint of madness in her voice. Raising her hands above her head, Presea commanded "_EXPLOSION!_"

"NO!" Sheena cried as Presea chanted the spell. As she screamed, the city of Mizuho burst into flames. The village was on fire. All the citizens ran out of the city, those that weren't killed during the initial explosion.

"PRESEA!" Lloyd cried, looking at the young woman. As he ran at her, Presea drew her cape in front of her. With a wisp of the cloak, she was gone. How had Presea done magic? He wondered. What was happening?

Lloyd and Orochi directed the remaining people out of the village while Sheena watched in horror. Finally, after all of the people were evacuated, Lloyd walked over to her. Sheena burst into tears as she saw her home town go up in flames. Lloyd held her tight as she cried into his chest. He looked from his crying wife, to Orochi, to the townspeople and ninjas he had fought besides. His face turned stern and hard.

"We're going to need help."

**A/N: **OOH! A cliffie! Sorry about that, but I hoped you liked the chapter. So much happened, it's kinda hard to take it all in at once. Looks like the Emperor is stronger than they thought, huh? Let's go over what we learned to help you understand it:

—Mizuho is now destroyed, but most of the citizens did survive.

—Presea not only knows magic now, but she works for the Half-Elf Emperor as his second-in- command.

—The Emperor already rules over most of Tethe'all, the center of it.

Well, I hoped you all like the big fight. Next chapter will have th rest of the party in it, save for Genis and Presea, cuz' they're doing their own thing now. And Raine's dead. So, the next chapter will have appearances by Lloyd, Sheena, Colette, Zelos, Regal, and Kratos. Along with some other familiar faces.

REWIEW! I love reviews, and they are the only way I will reach 100 reviews. Help my goal! Heal my ego! Make me happy! Review!

PEACE OUT!


	4. Old Friends

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Tales of Symphonia, or any of its themes or characters. In retrospect, that's probably a good thing.

**A/N: **I'm back, and I apologize for not updating earlier. I do have other stories to write, you know! Anyway, I hope everyone like the last chapter. Yeah, Presea's evil, cool huh? Also, when she did her magic attack, I accidentally made her say "Explosion." I meant for her to say "ERUPTION", just a little brain-fart.

I also want to thank everyone for all of the review. I'm averaging 13 review a chapter, which is superb! At this rate, I can make 100 review easy. Thanks to all! Also, if anyone wants me to read and review their own stories, just say so in your reviews. I would love to read others' stories.

Now, onto the actual reason you read through this long and boring Author's Note: Onto the real story!

**Chapter 3: Old Friends**

"Iselia!" Lloyd called out, announcing to the rest that they had finally arrived. Riding with him on the Rheaird was Sheena, who was hugging her arms around him to keep on. Behind him was Kuchinawa, who had taken the last Rheaird. Orochi had stayed behind to lead his people. They needed him now more than ever.

"Are you sure the rest will be here?" Sheena asked, talking into Lloyd's ear. He shook his head.

"No, but they should be," he explained. "I sent messages to all of them, except Presea obviously. I know that Colette and Zelos will be here."

"Well, duh, they live here!" Sheena retorted, punching him in the arm. "What about Regal, and Kratos?"

"I think Regal should be there," Lloyd answered. "As for dad, I can't be sure. You know him, he comes when he wants to."

"We can talk later, we have arrived!" Kuchinawa said, landing his Rheaird. Lloyd followed suit, helping Sheena off the Rheaird. She kissed him as she jumped off, making Kuchinawa look away. He wasn't that he wasn't gal for them, it's just that they went overboard with the kissing sometimes. Like now.

"We really should get going," Kuchinawa said, still not facing them.

"Aw, you're no fun, Kuchinawa," Sheena said, finally breaking off from Lloyd's lips.

"Kiss later, save world now."

As the three finally got moving, they headed in the direction of the Iselia school. It had changed a lot. The school now took up an entire block, and had two full stories. Ever since Symphonia had been created, people had moved from everywhere into Iselia. Its reputation for being the most peaceful city around preceded it. But, it still wasn't as big as Luin.

"Why, this place has changed," Lloyd said, remembering his old school days.

"Yeah, you're actually going to school, and you're not asleep," Sheena said, teasing him.

"Yet," Kuchinawa added.

"Hey!" Lloyd cried. "How come both of you have to gang up on me? It's bad enough with only one of you."

"Mizuho tradition, make fun of the bokka," Kuchinawa said simply. Lloyd's face was as blank as a piece of paper. He turned to Sheena.

"What's a bokka?" he whispered into her ear. She just grinned.

"It's Mizuho for 'stupid', Lloyd" she explained, and continued walking.

"Oh," Lloyd said. After a couple moments of standing there, he added "HEY! I am so not bokaa!"

"It's bokka, Lloyd!" Sheena said, cracking up at her husband. Lloyd caught up with her as she continued to laugh at him. Kuchinawa sighed.

"I almost liked the kissing better..."

Finally, the three reached the school. Opening the doors, they entered the building and stepped into the open classroom. Lloyd smiled as he saw the teacher. A very pretty blonde was teaching the class, holding a book and lecturing to the class. She was only twenty-seven years old. She looked up as the three entered the room. The children immediately fell silent.

There, standing in the doorway, were three very different people. Kuchinawa was still dressed in his red ninja uniform, which frankly frightened many children already. Sheena was wearing her purple successor robes, which actually made a few girls gasp in awe. And then there was Lloyd. The Governor-General of Luin was fully dressed in his blue and white naval uniform with black pants. The red boots and gloves added to his appearance even more. And then, there was the long red cape.

"Excuse me, but can we please speak with Mrs. Wilder?" Lloyd asked, looking over at Colette. The blond girl smiled as she recognized her friends.

"Class dismissed early today," Colette said, still not looking away from her friends. The three got out of the way as two dozen wild children ran out of the room in a mad frenzy.

"How are you, Colette?" Sheena asked, walking up to her. Two hugged, and soon Colette hugged Lloyd as well. She just shook Kuchinawa's hand.

"Hello, Kuchinawa," she said. The red ninja grunted in reply, shaking her hand. He could just feel the cheerfulness in the room. Frankly, he found it kinda gross.

"Where's Zelos?" Lloyd asked, noticing the party animal was mysteriously absent.

"Oh, he's on the second floor, hold on," Colette said. Looking up, she punched the ceiling three times. "ZELOS! Get down here!" (AN: This is how teachers communicate in my school. It's beyond sad!)

As the three stared at her strangely, they heard three more thumps from above her. Suddenly, they heard a horde of children running down the stairs and out of the school. As the last student ran, panting out the door, Zelos came down, smiling widely. His red hair was still long, and he still had a fondness for the colors white and pink. However, he now wore glasses over his eyes.

"Hey, what's up, bud?" He asked, seeing the Governor-General in the room. The teacher began to sweat. "If this is about the stolen barrels in Flanoir, I swear I didn't---"

"Zelos, it's me," Lloyd said, facing him. Zelos' face instantly lit up. "Oh, Lloyd, of course it's you!" he said. "Just ignore everything I just said..."

Lloyd had already forgotten it as he shook his friend's hand. "No problem, Zelos. By the way, when did you get glasses?"

"Glasses?" Zelos asked, looking out of his lenses. "Oh, these. Eh, just makes me look smarter," he said, throwing them behind him. "And Sheena, what a surprise!"

"Hi, Zelos," Sheena said, giving her old friend a hug. She trusted him this much, as the playboy had changed a lot since marrying Colette. It was quite an improvement.

"Have Regal or Kratos arrived yet?" Lloyd asked.

"Yeah, Regal is upstairs cleaning for me," Zelos said, smiling slyly. When Colette gave him a disapproving stare he said "What? He lost a bet!"

"As I recall, I volunteered to help," Regal said as he came down the stairs. "When I offered assistance, I didn't mean having to scrub your chalkboard."

"Heh heh..." Zelos let out a nervous giggle as Colette stared at him. "I'm gonna move over here."

"And I've been here for quite some time," came another voice. All six looked around to see Kratos appear behind them. He had been waiting at the door. "I arrived here shortly after Lloyd and Sheena. Now, what is it you have summoned us all here for?" he asked.

"Geez, dad, hello to you, too," Lloyd said, grinning at his father. Kratos only grinned back.

"I am sorry," he said, walking towards his son. "Would you have been happier if I had strolled in and gave you a hug?"

"Uh. . ." Lloyd trailed off. "Okay fine, just at least say hello!"

"Very well," Kratos said, still smiling. "Now, to business."

All seven of them took a seat in the classroom. Lloyd explained what had happened in Luin and Mizuho. Colette gasped a few times, and Sheena was close to tears at the Mizuho part. Regal kept shaking his head, and Kratos and Zelos remained emotionless. Kuchinawa, the only one standing, didn't say a word the whole time.

When thy got to Presea, many reactions were heard. Colette gasped sharply and Zelos shook his head. Kratos narrowed his eyes in deep thought. But Regal took it the hardest. Hearin what she did, he stood up immediately, angered.

"Presea?" he said. "Presea did this!"

"Yes, I'm sorry Regal," Sheena said. "Wasn't she working for you?'

"Not recently," Regal admitted, looking down. The years had been rough on the poor man. His back was bad, and his face was beginning to wrinkle. "Presea left my company about a year ago. I never knew what happened to her. But this. . . this explains it. It's. . . too much."

"And what of the Desians?" Kratos said, rubbing his chin in the classic thinking position. "You said they were sent by this Half-Elf Emperor, correct?" Lloyd nodded. "Well, then it leads me to wonder exactly: Where is Genis?"

The other six looked at each other. "What?" Finally, Sheena looked at him.

"Well. . .Genis went missing four years ago," Sheena told him. "But you don't think. . ."

"I assume nothing," Kratos told her. "It is just a suspicion, nothing more. Presea, half-elf army, it all points to him."

"Well, it is possible," Lloyd admitted. "But Genis would never do that! He's our friend!"

"Stop arguing," Kuchinawa commanded before either one could talk back. "We are not here to make assumptions, we are here to act. We must decide who is to after this Emperor, and when. The time for action is now."

"Once again, my knowledge is bested by our friend, Kuchinawa," Kratos agreed. "We must decide who is going and who isn't."

"I would love to help you," Regal said. "But, alas, I cannot. Besides the fact I must run Lazareno, I am an old man now. I am in no condition to protect myself, much less fight anyone."

"Agreed," Sheena said. "We don't want anything to happen to you. And we don't want anyone to feel forced to go on our account. If you don't want to, that's fine."

"Either way," Lloyd said, "Sheena and I are in all the way. We already talked about it on the way here, and we are going. If we could defeat Destron, we can sure as hell beat this guy."

"Then I am going as well," Kuchinawa said. "I will have vengeance for my home, and my people. It is my duty as a ninja of Mizuho to reclaim my tribe's honor. I will face this Emperor to the death if I must."

"Very well," Lloyd said, nodding his head. Sheena nodded as well.

"You are a valuable fighter. I still have scars to prove it," she said with a smile. "We're lucky to have you."

"In that case, I hope none of you have anything against us if Colette and I stay behind," Zelos said. "I know it's not like me to run from a fight. . ." (Sheena snorted) ". . .But, we wouldn't be all that helpful anyway. Besides, things just got normal after ten years. I'd like it to stay that way!"

"Sorry," Colette apologized as she hugged Zelos tighter. "We don't mean to inconvenience you."

"It's okay, Colette, really," Lloyd said.

"We will miss you though," Sheena said, smiling. Finally, she turned to Kratos. "And what about you?"

Kratos seemed deep in thought. He looked around the room from person to person. After studying the six people surrounding him, he finally spoke. "I apologize, but I will be unable to journey with you, for reasons of my own."

"What!" Lloyd cried, standing up immediately. "What do you mean you can't come! You are our strongest fighter!"

"Exactly," Kratos said. "In case you fail, I will still be here, as a backup. And just because I do not journey with you does not mean I will not help you. I will provide you aid whenever you need it. But, I have pressing matters in Derris-Kharlan that must be dealt with."

"Very well," Sheena sais, upset as Lloyd. "But it won't be the same without you."

"She's right, Dad," Lloyd said. "We'll miss you, but if you have pressing matters, then I won't stop you."

"Thank you, Lloyd," Kratos said, standing up at last. "Now, if you all will excuse me, I must leave."

"Good-bye!" they all said as Kratos began to teleport back to Derris-Kharlan. All standing up, they exited the school building.

"You should all stay at our house tonight!" Colette said. "We have plenty of room, and I'm sure Fred and the kids would love to have you!"

"That sounds great," Sheena said. "How are your daughters?"

"Oh, they're both doing fine," Colette said, smiling. "Lena (6) is just growing up too fast. But we still have Shara (2) to snuggle with!"

As they laughed, they exited the school. As they left, they heard a scream. As instinct, Lloyd, Sheena, and Kuchinawa drew their weapons and ran forward, the other three following behind them. Finally, they arrived at the front gate to Iselia. And gasped.

Standing before the gate was a large number of Desians. Not the hundreds they saw last time, but at least fifty. The red-armored troops stood at attention, ready to strike the town at an order. Because standing before them was Presea.

The pink-haired girl was dressed in a combat uniform. Her tight black suit had pieces of armor in various places and it covered all but her head and face. Her pink hair remained short, and only fell to her shoulders. Her eyes still remained empty.

Behind them, Lloyd heard Regal let out a cry. Colette gasped as well. As they stared at their old friend, their expressions changed into ones of fright and anger. They looked at the fifty troops ahead of them as Presea stared back at her old friends. Finally, she spoke.

"We are here to take with us the Governor-General of Luin, along with his wife, to see the Half-Elfe Emperor."

"And if I don't agree to come with you?" Lloyd asked. Presea shrugged.

"Then we will destroy Iselia."

**A/N: **Can you say CLIFFIE? Sorry about that, but it had to be done. Cliffhangers are the authors' way of pretending he knows what's going to happen next. Sorry to keep you in suspense. I hope everyone liked this chapter, even if not much actually happened. Don't worry, next chapter has lots of fights. It should satisfy your blood-lust.

Also, I wanted to remind everyone that my story "Lousy Impostors!" is currently out and ready to read with two chapters. I've only received 4 reviews on it, but I want more. I mean, it isn't that bad! Please, everyone read my other story "Lousy Impostors!". I really want everyone to read and review it. I swear it is good!

Now, time to review for chapter three! Tell me what you think! I wanna hear feedback, people! I love that review button, so please make me happy and push it on the way out!

Until next time in Chapter 4: The Heimdall Castle!

PEACE OUT!


	5. The Heimdall Castle

**Disclaimer: **I'm starting to get tired of coming up with creative ways to say this thing. I DON"T OWN TALES OF SYMPHONIA! Are you vultures happy now!

**A/N: **Time to continue the story. Now, as you all know, we left just as Presea was about to destroy Iselia. Will Lloyd and the gang go peacefully? Or will they fight till the city is destroyed? Well, you're gonna have to wait a teensy bit longer to find out.

First, I want to thank everyone that reviewed, despite the fact I won't be thanking you all personally. I am far too lazy to do that, and I need space to write the story. So, thanks anyways!

Read, enjoy, and review! In that order!

**Chapter 4: The Heimdall Castle**

"We are here to take with us the Governor-General of Luin, along with his wife, to see the Half-Elf Emperor."

"And if I don't agree to come with you?" Lloyd asked. Presea shrugged.

"Then we will destroy Iselia."

As Lloyd stood there, he stared at the sight before him. Surely she did not believe she could destroy the town with only fifty Desian soldiers? But, no that wasn't what she was planning. He knew that if they didn't cooperate, it would be Mizuho all over again. Presea would simply use her magic to destroy the town.

However, Lloyd was sure he could take her, especially with Sheena's help. Together the group could surely stop this oncoming force. And he and Sheena could take Presea easily. Lloyd turned to face Sheena.

The Mizuho woman was busy staring at Presea with rage. Memories of her home town were flooding back, and the anger was being directed square at Presea. And it had every right to be. Lloyd looked over to Kuchinawa then.

The red ninja was much like Sheena. Gone was the cool composure of a ninja, replaced with blind rage. Kuchinawa had lost his home to this girl, and he was determined to have vengeance for it.

Lloyd saw that the rest of the group was much different. Regal was staring with awe at Presea. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Here was his sister-in-law, a girl he had looked after for over ten years. And she was prepared to strike down an entire village with a simple order.

Lloyd saw that Zelos was also different. He appeared frustrated, angry at himself for not being armed. It looked like he was restraining every muscle in his body from leaping at PResea right then and there.

And Colette looked scared of course. But not for herself. She was afraid of what would happen to the townspeople if Presea attacked. And she was afraid for Presea if Lloyd chose to attack. She knew how strong they both were. Surely they would destroy themselves?

"No," Lloyd finally answered. "You will leave this town at once. I refuse to negotiate with terrorists. The Half-Elf Emperor can come see me himself, unless he be lame or lazy."

"Very well," Presea sais simply, as if she had been expecting the answer. "It would seem your answer reflects your poor judgement. You have been warned." Turning, Presea looked behind her, smiling. "Master?"

Lloyd and the others gasped as a figure steeped out from behind Presea. The figure was slightly taller than Presea herself, about 6'. The figure was dressed from head to two in a black uniform, with red armor on his hands, feet, and chest. Behind him flowed a long, purple cape. A hood was attached to the cape, and the figure currently wore it like this, with the hood hiding his face. The purple hood was so expertly made that no one could see the face behind it. The only thing that could be seen were two glowing purple eyes.

Lloyd realized with a start that this was the Half-Elf Emperor standing before him! He terrorist he had been hunting down now stood only yards in front of him. The six friends all stared intently at the Emperor, waiting for him to make his move.

"Is your decision final?" the Emperor boomed. His deep voice roared throughout the village, making several children run or cry. But it didn't frighten the six of them.

"Yes, I demand you leave this area at once! We will settle this elsewhere!" Lloyd cried back. The Emperor began to laugh as he heard the Governor-General speak. It was one of those maniacal laughs, the kind that send shivers down your spine.

"My dear Governor," the Emperor laughed. "You never had a choice in the matter!"

And, as the Emperor finished his words, he raised his hand into the air. He began to chant a spell wildly, and Sheena's eyes widened.

"Lloyd!" she cried. "I recognize that spell! It was a spell Genis used to use!"

"What spell was it?" Lloyd asked over the deafening roar of the spell. Sheena thought about it hard, trying to remember.

"It was...It was...oh no..." Sheena muttered as she remembered the spell. This was going to get messy. "Everyone brace for impact!"

"Why! What's happening?" Zelos shouted. Suddenly, his question was answered as the Emperor finished his spell.

"_METEOR STORM_!"

"Shit!" Lloyd cried. He ran over and took Sheena's hand as the first of the meteors rained down from the heavens. The six friends all ran to take cover, frantically yelling at the townspeople to take cover. The six ran under the school, still yelling at the citizens.

As they yelled, meteor after meteor rained down upon them. Each time one struck, there was a huge explosion and a building would quickly catch on fire. Sometimes it would hit the ground and leave a huge burning crater. Hundreds of the flaming rock rained down, striking and burning everything in their path.

It was horrible. People were running around, screaming their heads off. Meteor after meteor struck, explosions occasionally muffling the death cries. There was blood everywhere, as buildings weren't eh only things the meteors struck. No, there were people.

Sheena and Lloyd watched in horror as a small child ran out of his burning house. The child was screaming and crying, running out onto the streets. The six watched in desperation as a giant meteor hurtled right toward the child. Quickly, a woman appeared out of nowhere and flung the child to safety. But it was too late for her.

The six looked away as the meteor struck the woman, reducing her to ashes. Her screams could be heard throughout the village.

"That's it!" Lloyd cried. "We have to do something, this can't go on!"

"Right," Sheena cried back over the roar of the meteors. "Let's go get him!"

The two quickly jumped up, and drew their weapons. The two ran out from their shelter and began to run towards the Emperor and Presea. Both enemies were staring at the village, Presea was once again emotionless. And they couldn't even tell what emotion the Emperor wore, due to his hood.

"Wait!" Kuchinawa cried. The red ninja ran out as well, following the other two.

Lloyd heard another meteor approaching, and looked up to see two speeding towards him. Thinking fast, Lloyd swung his Ice Blade, freezing the closest one. He jumped out of the way as the giant snowball crashed to the ground, shattering in every direction. At the same time, he crossed his blades in an x-fashion. Crying out an attack he made up, a purple X sped out of his blades, breaking the newt meteor into four pieces.

As Lloyd did this, Sheena had three meteors to take care off. Seeing the closest one, She cried "_Cyclone Seal_!" The Cyclone Seal wrapped itself around the incoming meteor, and pushed it backward, exploding into another meteor. Two meteors down with one attack. However, Sheena wasn't quick enough to stop the last from hitting her.

Fortunately, Lloyd was. "_Raising Falcon_!" he cried, striking the meteor in mid-air. The two looked back to see Kuchinawa dodging meteors left and right. He expertly kicked and dodged, sending meteor after meteor spinning out of control.

Finally, the red ninja caught up with them. The three sped forward together, dodging meteor after meteor as they ran towards their target. As they approached, they actually saw the Half-Elf Emperor take a step back. The sight of three warriors speeding towards you can do that. But he was the Emperor! What did he have to worry about?

"Presea," he said calmly. "Capture them, I want all three."

"Very well, Master," Presea responded. As she took a step forward, she raised her hand. The three didn't stop approaching. They probably should have.

"_Gravity Well_!" cried Presea. Suddenly, all three were over taken by darkness. The swirling vortex that was the gravity well sucked them into its depths. As darkness and pain twisted around them, all three of the warriors were knocked unconscious.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Lloyd woke with a start. He was in what looked like a cell. The walls and floor were all made out of purple stone. He noticed that there were about a dozen Desians standing guard outside his cell. Looking around, Lloyd realized his friends weren't with him.

Standing up, all the Desians tensed up. Confused, Lloyd looked down. _He was still armed!_ Whoever locked him in this cell was dumb enough to let him keep his weapons! That would prove to be a mistake.

"Wakey wakey, inferior being," the closest Desian taunted. "What're you gonna do, cut the bars down? Hahahahaha!"

"Well, I wasn't going to , but thanks for the idea," Lloyd thanked him. Picking up his Material Blades, he crossed them again. The Desians watched with shock as the blades glowed purple. Suddenly, an X-shaped blast burst from the blades, striking the bars. The bars of th cell exploded, as did the two Desians stupidly standing in front of them. Walking out of the cell, Lloyd gave the Desians an evil grin. Slashing his Blades left and right, he quickly struck down all the Desians but one.

"Now," he said, picking the last Desian up by his collar. "Where am I?"

"You are in...the Heimdall Castle," the Desian sputtered. "All hail the Half-Elf Emperor!"

"Right..." Lloyd said. "Now, where are my friends? Both are Mizuho, one female and one male."

"I...don't know..." the Desian choked out. "I was only assigned to guard...this cell. All hail the Half-Elf Emperor!"

"I'm gonna have to ask you stop saying that," Lloyd said. "Now, one last question. Answer it correctly and I'll let you live. Understood?" The Desian nodded frantically. "Good, now where is the Emperor?"

"All hail the..." the Desian never finished his sentence as Lloyd slit his throat. Frustrated, Lloyd looked around the hall. Heimdall Castle? There wasn't a Castle in Heimdall...

Lloyd hit himself for being so stupid. Duh! He was in Old Heimdall, the abandoned city of the elves. This was where Orochi had suspected the Emperor might be. And he was right, too. It seems that the Emperor had built a castle on the ruins of the last city. Ans it seemed that this was the base for his Desian troops.

As Lloyd wandered the hallways, he was forced to hide several times. Groups of Desians marched by the hallways every few minutes on patrol. The castle was huge! The large purple structure was so confusing, he couldn't tell where he had or hadn't been.

Just when Lloyd thought he would never find his way, a familiar face showed up.

"Hello, Lloyd," Presea said, sneaking up behind him. Turning around, Lloyd was struck across the fac by the blunt of her axe. Standing up, Lloyd saw that Presea was standing over him. Her pink hair was draped over her shoulders, ans she stared at Lloyd with her usual emotionless eyes.

"Welcome to the Heimdall Castle," she whispered. Slashing her axe, she caught Lloyd off-guard and he fell onto his back. As he fell, he felt two four Desians take his arms, two on each arm. His weapons were removed and he was tied up.

"I don't know how you retrieved your weapons," Presea said. "But, it matters not. You have company to attend to." The woman actually gave off a little giggle as she said this, making Lloyd cock an eyebrow. Maybe there was still chance for Presea...

While Presea lead the way, the Desians pulled Lloyd with them. Lloyd refused to struggle, so he let his body hang limp. This made it harder for the Desians to carry him. Lloyd loved wearing out his enemies.

"Here we are," Presea said. Lloyd looked around and gasped. The Castle...looked exactly like Mithos'!

The door they stood before was identical to the one they had defeated the Dark Dragon at eleven years ago. Lloyd looked around to see the rest of the castle was also an exact duplicate of the Derris-Kharlan Castle. What was going on?

"Your new ruler awaits," Presea said, unlocking the door. "Leave now," she commanded the Desians. Leaving, they dropped Lloyd unceremoniously on the ground with a thump. Presea picked him up by the collar and preceded to drag him, as she did with the Sacred Wood so many years ago.

AS Lloyd was dragged into the room, the doors slammed close behind him, locking again. Lloyd looked around to see that once again, the room looked exactly the one that he had defeated Mithos in. This entire castle was exactly like the Derris-Kharlan Castle.

"Enjoying the familiar scenery, Lloyd?" Lloyd looked up to see the Half-Elf Emperor standing before him.

"Yeah, I love copycat designers," Lloyd muttered. He was answered by a swift kick in the face. Grunting, he realized that Presea had kicked him.

"Now now, dear Presea, that wasn't very nice," the Emperor said. "We want out distinguished guest to feel welcome, don't we?"

"Yes Master, sorry Master."

"It's quite all right," the Emperor said.

"Why...me?" Lloyd asked, wondering what the Emperor wanted with him.

"Why many reasons, of course," The Emperor said. "The first being that you are the Governor-General of Luin." Lloyd was expecting that. "But the more important reason is that you were my friend. Operative word being 'were'."

"What!" Lloyd cried. "I was never friends with a terrorist! You're lying!"

"I'm afraid not, Lloyd," the Emperor replied. "Besides, that's what they said," he said, pointing at another person. Lloyd realized that both Sheena and Kuchinawa were also in the room, but they were both unconscious.

"Monster, what did you do to them!" Lloyd cried.

"Nothing but knock them out when they refused to accept the truth," the Emperor said, grinning slightly. Not that Lloyd could see.

"What truth? Who are you?" Lloyd asked. The Emperor laughed.

"The answer to both question, my dear friend," The Emperor said. "Is the same!"

**A/N: **Now, it is time to leave you guys with another cliffie! Don't you love em? Who is the dreaded Half-Elf Emperor? Well, we find out next time! Although, I'm pretty sure absolutely EVERYONE has figured it out (coughProloguecough)

Remember to read my other story, "Lousy Impostors!". I'm gonna discontinue it if no one else reviews. You people are the ones that said you would like the story, and now you don't even read it! I feel like crying...

Till, next time: Chapter 5: The Half-Elf Emperor!

Oh yeah, and review. PLEASE REVIEW!

PEACE OUT!


	6. The Half Elf Emperor

**Disclaimer: **Not in the mood. Don't own it, never will.

**A/N: **Thanks for all the reviews, you guys rock! With this, I'll get 100 reviews easy! Woohoo! Also, sorry it took me so long to update, I've been busy writing my book. It takes a lot of time.

Now, just so you know: We find out who the Half-Elf Emperor is in this chapter, although I'm sure EVERYONE has already guessed. And a special note to all those that told me it was obvious: NO FREAKING DUH! Would I have put in the freakin' prologue if I didn't want you to know? I mean, really, give me SOME credit here! I even said who it was on my freakin' profile page!

And thanks to all of you who already guessed, but were kind enough to not blurt it out, or insult me in th process.

Another note: If you really like Kuchinawa, SKIP THIS CHAPTER! Also, if you have a weak heart, or cannot tolerate bloody scenes, SKIP THIS CHAPTER! Let's just say I'm making sure the story is rated Teen for a reason. . .

Read, enjoy, and review. In that order:

**Chapter 5: The Half-Elf Emperor**

"What truth? Who are you?" Lloyd asked.

"The answer to both questions, my dear friend," The Half-Elf Emperor exclaimed, "Is the same!"

Lloyd looked up from his spot on the cold purple floor of the Heimdall Castel. The castle that was an almost duplicate of the Derris-Kharlan Castle. Kuchinawa and Sheena were also tied up, and laying across from him, both unconscious. The Emperor stood merely steps away from him, staring down at the Governor-General.

"What. . . What do you mean?" Lloyd asked. He looked into the hood of the Emperor, but all he saw were those dark, purple eyes. Nothing else could be seen.

"I will show you exactly what it means," the Emperor said. "Look into my face. . . the face of your friend! The friend you betrayed!" Placing his hand on the top of his hood, the Emperor drew back his hood and revealed himself.

"No. . ." Lloyd whispered. "It can't be. . . Genis!"

It was indeed Genis, but the young boy Lloyd had known was gone. His face was hard and rough as a stone. He had a long scar trailing down his right left eye, which looked like it had always been there. His silver hair fell down to his shoulders. Two pointed ears grew out of his head. The left one had the tip of it missing, and a hole in its center.

"Yes, I am indeed your old friend Genis," the Emperor stated. "But you will not refer to me by that name any longer. I am the Emperor. I ceased to be Genis Sage quite some time ago."

"But, Genis. . ." Lloyd whispered.

"My name is Emperor!" Emperor Genis roared. "I told you, I refuse to be called by that weak name. I long deserved a name of power, a name that told of my greatness! And that name is Emperor!"

"But why?" Lloyd cried. "Why are you doing this? What are you planning!"

"It's really a very simple tale, Lloyd," Genis stated. "Well, for me at least." The Emperor grinned slightly, his eyes glowing. "I suppose it really started eleven years ago, with Mithos."

"What about Mithos?" Lloyd asked. He was answered by another swift kick in the face, this time by Genis.

"Do not interrupt, scum," he said. "Do you wish to know what happened or not?'

"Anyway. . ." he continued, "It started with Mithos. His ideals. . . intrigued me, I will admit. Creating a world of Lifeless beings, however, was going to far. Why not just wipe out everyone that wasn't a Half-Elf? Much easier."

"But how?" Lloyd interrupted again. "How are you going to wipe everyone out? It's impossible!"

"Improbable, Lloyd, improbable," Genis corrected him. "It's very possible, actually. I found the way many years ago, ten years to be precise. Remember your fight with Destron? Well, we weren't all completely sure you would win. Or, to be more precise, I wasn't sure you could win. So, I studied a secret weapon, just in case."

"Secret. . . weapon?" Lloyd asked. "What weapon could have possibly destroyed Destron?"

"One of his own invention," Genis explained. "The Mana Cannon. When you and your wife left to go take care of Destron, I went to the Mana Cannon to study it. I believed that if you lost, then I could always use the Cannon to try and stop him myself. However, you succeeded, much to my surprise. And I left the cannon. . . until four years ago. Do you remember what happened four years ago, Lloyd?"

"Four years ago. . ." Lloyd tried to remember what had happened. Suddenly, it struck him like a ton of bricks. "Raine. . ."

"That's right, my sister died," Emperor Genis explained. "My sister died, and it left me in turmoil. I had nowhere to go, nowhere to live. And you said you would help me. But you didn't did you!"

"Genis," Lloyd said. "I was always there for you! You disappeared, and none of us knew where you were!"

"Liar," Genis growled. He swung his hand and backhanded the Governor-General. "You promised me you would be there, but you never were! And I'll never forgive you for that! I was in so much despair, so you know where I fled to! I fled to the damn Human Ranch, Lloyd! I fled to the Desians old hide-out, and guess what I found? Deisans, of course. Deserters, remnants, ones that had survived the explosion. And I became their leader. I traveled to all four ranches, and gathered an army of Desians, recruiting as I went. I gathered an army. I now have approximately ten thousand Desians under my control. And I did it all right under your pathetic nose."

"But why?" Lloyd asked yet again. "Why would you need an army? What are you doing?"

"I needed an army to take back what is mine," Genis replied. "Symphonia. This new world belongs to the half-elfs. For far too long have we been discriminated, prejudiced, and stepped on. We have been manipulated and used for an eternity. And now it is time to claim what is rightfully ours."

"And what about Presea?" Lloyd asked.

"My dear Presea was with me the entire time," Genis explained. "You fools actually thought she was working for Lazareno, but in reality she was my spy. I used her to gather information and steal secrets. I now know more about this world than either Raine or Regal combined!"

"But how can she use magic?"

"Blood transfusion," the Emperor replied. "I simply gave her some elf blood. It has allowed her to use magic. I have been teaching her in the art, and am proud to say she has improved greatly. Isn't that right, my dear?"

"Yes, Master," Presea answered. Her eyes remained emotionless and blank.

"And what about her soul?" Lloyd asked, growing angry. "What have you done to her?"

"I told you Lloyd," Genis responded. "I have done nothing but give her blood. She is doing everything on her own will and conscious. She is completely self-aware, but careful training has taught her to never show it. She is as alive as you or me."

"But what does any of this have to do with the Mana Cannon?" Lloyd asked.

"Simple, it. . . " Genis was cut of as he looked over to his other side. Sheena and Kuchinawa began to stir. Sheena woke up completely and looked over at Lloyd.

"Lloyd, not you too!" she exclaimed. "Lloyd, Genis is the–"

"We have already been over that, Sheena," Genis said, rolling his eyes. "Presea, release all three of them. I want them to be fully equipped when they try to fight me."

"But, Master," Presea hesitated.

"It is quite all right, my dear," he explained. The Emperor turned to the three of them. "If any of you three tries anything, remember this: Presea is fully equipped with over a dozen different weapons on her person, and she has been taught to kill. And if that isn't enough, please remember I am a master sorcerer. I can kill all three of you with a few simple words."

"Then why are you releasing us?" Sheena asked as she accepted her Asura cards from Presea.

"I want to show you three something," he responded simply. He motioned to them with his hand, and began to walk out of the chamber. The three followed him, wit Presea on their back.

Emperor Genis lead them down the grand staircase in the center of the castle to the front doors. Upon seeing their master, the Desians opened the gates. The group exited through them, leaving the Desians to goof off.

"What you are about to see is the result of four years of pain, torment, and a lifetime of discrimination," Genis explained. "See. . ."

As ordered, all three walked forwards. They found that the castle they were in was stationed on the ground, and the castle doors lead right to the outside of the castle. Into Old Heimdall. But it had changed a lot. Lloyd expected to see the run-down ruins of a city. Instead, he had to gasp in horror.

The city was no longer a city. It was a military base. All around were grand steel walls, guarding the city from attack. Giant towers rose up, Desians peking out of each one. Large un-manned tanks were hovering by. The tanks looked like giant silver disks, with an energy cannon on top of it. And there were hundreds of them. Thousands of Desians were patrolling the city, practicing drills and marching to count.

And surrounding the city was what looked a giant force-field. The sky was obscured by purple pixels of energy. The pixels blinked on and off, giving it an eery glow.

"What. . . is this?" Lloyd asked.

"The headquarters for the Desian Invasionary Force," Genis explained. "The energy shield protects us from view, as well as weapons. All the outside world sees is a ruined city, devoid of any life whatsoever. But within the walls, it is the most powerful base in all of Symphonia."

"In ten days time, we will invade the rest of your pathetic world, and capture any and all that are not half-elfs. And that is when we will claim the world as our own."

"I am sorry, but that will not be happening now or ever."

All five of the people standing before the castle turned to see where the voice had come from. Looking back to the castle doors, they spotted the figure who had spoke. He was dressed in purple clothes, with a creative cape. He had fiery red hair and a large sword in his hands.

"Kratos!" Genis cried. "How the hell did you get here!"

"Simple," the Seraphim replied. "I merely placed a tracking device on my son's person. Once I had learned Iselia had been attacked, I simply tracked Lloyd to this location. I warped myself in here. Your base may be safe from armies, but you can't stop a Seraphim that knows how to teleport."

"Dad!" Lloyd cried. "We have to stop Genis! He is the Half-Elf Emperor!"

"I know Lloyd. I heard the whole thing," Kratos explained. "And I have come to rescue you."

"Rescue them!" Genis roared with laughter. "Good try, but you are a fool, Kratos! Nothing can get past my invasionary force!" Suddenly, Genis' eyes glowed a bright crimson. His body rose into the air, red energy crackling around him. The Desians heard this and faced their master. "ATTACK THE INTRUDERS!" The Emperor roared. "I WANT THEM ALL DEAD!"

The Desians, without question, attacked at once. The red armored warriors sped forward as Lloyd faced the onslaught.

"Sheena!" he cried. "Do you remember the plan I made up if we were ever in any enemy base?"

"Of course!" Sheena grinned. "You want me to do it?"

"I want you to do it," Lloyd grinned back. "We'll buy you time, do it now!"

"Right!" Sheena cried. Immediately, the summoner began to chant. Kratos and Kuchinawa caught on and ran at the Desians to help Lloyd. As Lloyd ran at them, his swords glowed bright. Slashing once, he set ten Desians on fire simultaneously. Slashing again, he froze the group on his other side. He began to chop them down right and left, but he was greatly outnumbered.

He saw that the same was happening with Kuchinawa. Try as he might, the ninja was quickly over run and pinned tot he ground. Kratos had retreated into the air, where he was shooting balls of energy at the Desian archers below him.

Just as Lloyd was over run with Desians soldiers, he heard Sheena finish her spell. Or, to be more specific, her summoning.

"I summon thee! EFREET!"

Silence. All nine thousand of the Desians froze as the giant red spirit rose into the air. Efreet stared down at them with fire in his eyes. His curved horns seem to grow as he opened his raging mouth. His muscular arms danced with flame, and his tail swung back and forth threateningly.

As the Emperor stared up as the Fire Spirit, his eyes grew wide. He became speechless. Finally, he mustered up enough to speak one single word.

"Shit."

"ERUPTION!" cried Efreet. Immediately, great flames burst out of the ground, lave spewing everywhere. The volcano that had just opened up right beneath them burst into life.

"No, no, NO!" Genis cried as hie base was destroyed. He watched in horror as his castle fell aprat in one great explosion of lava. His towers and walls all burst into flames, as well as his soldiers.

"No. . . Presea!" he cried. The pink- haired girl turned to him. "Presea, take the rest of the soldiers to the Ranch! Initiate Phase Four, now! I will join you shortly!"

"Yes, Master!" she cried. She cast a spell, and suddenly the three thousand Desians that weren't on fire were teleported away. Finally, Genis turned to the four heroes.

"YOU!" he cried, running at them. "Sheena Fujibayashi! You shall pay for your insolence! WITH YOUR LIFE!"

As he sped towards them, his hand burst into red flame. Evil energy danced along his arm, and his eyes glowed with madness. Red energy crackled around him like lightning as he thrust his hand forward.

WARNING: THERE IS UNEEDED VIOLENCE AND BLOOD IN THIS PART! SKIP IF YOU MUST!

"SHEENA!" Lloyd cried as the Emperor thrust his hand forward. Sheena closed her eyes as the hand reached for her chest. She turned away as she waited for death to come. It didn't.

Looking back, Sheena saw the most frightening scene she had ever witnessed. Kuchinawa had jumped in front of her. The red ninja was protecting her with his body. And his life.

Suddenly, Sheena screamed as she saw what happened. Genis' arm was thrust forward, still glowing with crimson energy. But his hand. . . was inside Kuchinawa's chest. The ninja's chest was bleeding as the hand moved inside him.

Dying, Kuchinawa said his final words. "Tell Orochi. . . I'm sorry. . ." and with that, Genis finished the job. He yanked his arm back, holding something in his hand. Lloyd gasped as he saw that gEnis was holding Kuchinawa's heart in his hand. The red ninja fell to the ground, already dead.

"Kuchinawa!" Sheena cried, looking at her deceased friend. "No, you. . . you monster!" Drawing her cards, Sheena cried "_Cyclone Seal!_"

Genis looked up from the heart to see himself flung across the field into the tree. As he struck the tree, he actually grinned. "Pathetic," he said, still grinning, squeezing the heart in his hand. "So, this is what a weak heart looks like. Kuchinawa was weak, and his heart is just as weak." Squeezing the heart, it finally burst, blood spurting all over his clothes. But he didn't mind. He was far too mad.

"We will meet again, friends," Genis commented. "But, I will be even stronger than ever, as powerful as a god. I can lick my wounds, and move on. The question is," he said, pointing to Kuchinawa's body, "Can you?"

With that, Genis disappeared, the tree finally catching fire and falling. All around the base, lava was rising up, overcoming the base. As Lloyd leaned in to comfort his crying wife, Kratos readied his teleportation. As the two lovers embraced, they were swept away. And Old Heimdall fell upon the land, bursting into flame, until it was completely gone.

**A/N: **Told you it would get bloody. Sorry to the three of you that actually gave a damn about Kuchinawa. Like I said in chapter one, if it was up to me, this isn't what would happen. If it were up to me, they all would've lived happily ever after after the end of "Together Forever". However, the story must be told!

Just so you know, this isn't the end. I still have three chapters left, so get comfy. I hope everyone like this chapter, and I hope everyone reviews it as well. Remember, if I don't update for a while. It is probably because I'm busy with my novel.

Next time: Chapter Six: A Spiritual Journey. Until then, review.

PEACE OUT!


	7. Spiritual Journey

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own it.

**A/N: **Sorry for the late update yet again. I just found out I actually have a social life, and have thus been enjoying it. Yay for me. Anyway, this is chapter six. In the last chapter we found out Genis is the Half-Elf Emperor (No surprise there) and he then proceeded to kill Kuchinawa. Not that anyone cared about the guy...

Anyway, it finished with the Heimdall Castle being destroyed, and Kratos teleporting them away. To where you ask? Well read on and find out!

Also, thanks for all the reviews! I couldn't ask for better readers! Apparently, I'm not allowed to thank you all individually because of new rule. But I never did that anyway. You all know who you are, and I am thankful!

**Chapter Six: Spiritual Journey**

"Where am I?" Lloyd asked, looking around. His vision was blurred by the blurred white light pouring in through who knows where.

"You are on Derris-Kharlan," the voice answered. Eyes finally adjusting to the bright light, Lloyd looked around. He was indeed in Welgaia, the city of the Angels. Around him angels flew to and fro, but most stopped to stare at him before going on their way.

"How did I get here?" Lloyd asked. "And where's Sheena?"

"I'm right behind you," Sheena replied, tapping him on the shoulder. Her eyes were still tearing and her hair looked slightly messed up. Not to mention the blood on her uniform.

"And I brought you here," Kratos answered. "If we had remained any longer, Heimdall would have come down all around us."

"Thanks then," Lloyd said.

"However, I do need to talk to you," Kratos continued. "And it would be best if we talked alone. Sheena? Would you like to get a room. I can send someone to help."

"Thank you Kratos," Sheena answered. Immediately Kratos signaled to a passing angel.

"Yes, Lord Kratos?" the angel asked, approaching him.

"This poor woman just lost a dear friend in battle. Please give her a room, and do anything to make her stay comfortable."

"Of course, Lord Kratos," the angel smiled and led Sheena to the closest thing that resembled an inn.

"That was...different," Lloyd said. "Since when did the angels...smile?"

"Since I disposed of all their exspheres," Kratos explained. "Without those hateful things attached, the angels are the same as you or me. No then, I believed I wanted to show you something. Follow me."

Lloyd followed his father through Welgaia, staring at the tall silver buildings as he passed. They soon entered a part of Welgaia that Lloyd had never seen before. The hallways grew darker and there were fewer angels floating around. Finally they came upon a set of huge red doors.

"Open," Kratos commanded immediately. Without breaking stride, he walked right through the opening doors. Lloyd followed staring at the room before him. The room was filled with technology that would have made Raine drool, had she been alive at the time.

A giant computer screen was placed at the back of the room, taking up an entire wall. Giant tubes and wires connected to three human sized pods that sat in the middle of the room.

"Lloyd, this is the virtual reality room," Kratos explained. "The Four Seraphim used this room to live their own fantasies, and create their own scenarios. Mithos spent...quite some time here."

"So I see..."

"Anyway," Kratos continued. "This computer can be used to create any scenario. What I am about to show you is what would happen if your friend Genis is to succeed."

"But I don't even know what he's planing!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"But I do," Kratos explained. "The Derris-Kharlan network is very good at such things. I was at Heimdall to discover the Emperor's plans. And I found them."

Kratos took a deep breath. "Emperor Genis plans on using the Mana Cannon to eradicate the world of all intelligent beings. Except half-elves, of course."

"What!" Lloyd cried. "But he can't do that! Genis would never..."

"This isn't the same Genis you once knew, Lloyd," Kratos explained. "Time has stripped him of his childish traits. The things he has faced have made him mad. Genis was not strong enough to face such things, especially at such a young age. The problem with Genis now is, that he has incredible power. But he lacks the wisdom to control it."

"So you're going to show me what would happen if Genis uses the Mana Cannon?"

"No," Kratos corrected him. "I'm going to show you what WILL happen when the Emperor uses Destron's weapon. Please step into one of the pods."

As Lloyd stepped into the closest pad, Kratos went into the one next to him. As the pods closed around them, Kratos commanded tot eh computer. "Computer, activate VR program 3-413"

"Activating VR program 3-143," came the mechanical reply. "Please place VR visor over eyes." Lloyd and Kratos obeyed. "Please lift all food trays into the upright position. Please remain buckled while the seat-belt overhead sign is on. Please enjoy your flight."

Lloyd looked over at Kratos. He had no tray, nor did he have a seatbelt. Kratos shrugged. "Probably Mithos again...little weirdo..."

Suddenly, both VR visor flipped on. Both seraphim felt a sudden rush of power and they felt their bodies leave the physical plain. When the power surge stooped, Lloyd looked around. His visor was gone, and his body was no longer in any pod. Kratos stood next to him.

"Lloyd..." Kratos started. "I know this will be painful, but...look around."

Lloyd obeyed. He opened his eyes and looked around at the sight around him. It was...horrible. The land was charred and black, and there were no plants. All around him lay skeletons of people and animals. The sky was a blood red and there were no clouds. No water occupied the oceans, only charred red earth. Fissures ran through the land, dust blowing everywhere.

"What...is this?" Lloyd asked.

"This...is Symphonia," Kratos explained. "This is what the planet will look like after Genis uses his Mana Cannon."

"How long?" Lloyd choked out, still staring at the horror around him. "How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long will it take for the land to become...this?" Lloyd cried. "How long after Genis uses the Cannon? One-hundred years? Two hundred?"

"Lloyd..." Kratos breathed. "You must have misunderstood. This sight you see before you happens right after the Emperor uses the Cannon. If all goes as planned...this is what Symphonia will look like in two days time."

"No..." Lloyd muttered. "This is just...terrible. I don't believe that Genis would do this!"

"Not intentionally," Kratos explained. "Genis gives himself far too much credit. He cannot control the Mana Cannon. No one can. Destron made it as weapon of war, and that is how I will always remain."

"But Sheena controlled it before elven years ago!" Lloyd cried. "Can't she control it again?"

"No," Kratos said. "That was during the time when Sylvarant and Tethe'alla were separated. The only reason she could do it then were by using Tethe'alla's summon Sprits in Sylvarant. That cannot be done any more since the worlds have been joined."

"So what do we do?" Lloyd asked.

"There is only way to stop this future from happening," Kratos explained. "You have no choice but to kill Genis. That is the only way he will ever stop this foolishness."

"I can't..." Lloyd explained.

"What's stopping you?"

"He's my best friend!" Lloyd cried. "I can't kill my best friend, even if it's for the safety of the world. Someone else has to do it!"

"How can you say that," Kratos said, his eyes narrowing. "Do you think it was easy for me to help kill Mithos? Do you think it was easy for Yuan to do it? Both of us had to do it, and we knew we didn't have a choice. Genis must be taken down. For the sake of Symphonia."

"...you're right," Lloyd agreed hesitantly. "It...has to be done."

"Exactly," Kratos replied. "Now, go to Sheena. She needs you right now. Once she has calmed down, explain this to her. I will be ready to take the two of you in one hour."

"Take us? Take us where?" Lloyd asked. Kratos turned to face him.

"To the Remote Island Ranch," he explained. "To the Mana Cannon. Genis is waiting there. We are leading the offensive." He sighed before continuing.

"This is war."

**A/N: **Sorry for the shortness! This chapter had to be short, not much in it. Next time: big fight scene! War is declared! Will Lloyd and Sheena be able to reach Genis in time? Can they kill him for the sake of the planet? Find out next time in Chapter 7: The Remote Island Ranch.

And don't worry, it won't end there. There will be one final chapter after that. Eight story chapters in all! W00t!

Push the button and review. I love reviews. And I know you love sending them.

PEACE OUT!


	8. The Remote Island Ranch

**Disclaimer: **I don't really own anything I write about. Except paranoia. I own plenty of that...

**A/N: **Alright, it's about freakin' time I got some action in here! The war begins, people! Time for Lloyd and Sheena to take it to the Remote Island Ranch! Thanks for all the reviews, and I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. I should tell you now, this is the second to last chapter! Only one chapter after this! Boo Ya! Enjoy!

**Chapter 7: The Remote Island Ranch**

All was pretty much quiet on the Remote Island Ranch. The small island sat in the middle of a large ocean, one that extended farther than the sky itself. No one would bother the Desians here, surely? It was pretty much silent, save for a few hundred Desians practicing marching drills out on the surface. The Emperor had placed five hundred of his remaining three thousand Desians out to guard the entrance to his Ranch.

Marching drills, a few birds chirping. A couple of Desians fighting over a funny shaped stone. Those were the only sounds heard on the island. That is, until about noon.

As the sun reached its peak in the sky, the Desians heard something. All of them, save for th three fighting over the funny-shaped stone. But the other four hundred and ninety seven looked up at once. The stopped speaking and marching.

It sounded like...warriors? The Desains all looked around, trying to find the source of eh sound. Surely there would be no other army on this island? And no one could reach by boat without being shot down. The sounds of an approaching army were strange to these Desians. That is, until one Desian, a private it would seem, decided to actually look UP.

"Shit."

That was the only word he could use to describe the sight he was seeing. Punching another nearby Desian, the other looked up. Soon all of the Desians were punching each other to look up. And all of them uttered the same phrase as they finally saw the army approaching. From the sky.

As five hundred Desians looked up, the sky itself seemed to open up. A large tear in the sky was appearing from one side of the horizon to the other. As the rip reached the other side of the horizon, it began to widen. A large purple filled the rip, as if something was coming through from another dimension. That was true, as it would seem.

As five hundred Desians looked up in fear, a giant purple comet sped towards their planet. The purple fireball sped towards them, coming at otherworldly speed. As the comet sped closer, the Desians finally got a good look at it. Derris-Kharlan.

The great comet was speeding towards them just like it was eleven years. A few Desians screamed and ran right there, but most stayed to watch in fear. For Derris-Kharlan was the least of their worries.

Floating around the comet itself was a grand army of angels. All dressed up in black and white armor. Their could have been thousands, and that was probably a good estimate. Normally, that would have been enough to scare a group of Desians. But they were worried about something else, to.

The comet wasn't what scared them. The army of stern-faced angels didn't scare them. The thing that scared them was floating at the center of the floating army. Surrounded by all sides of angels, flew three figures. Seraphim. One was a Mizuho female and had great silver and gold wings sprouted from her back. The one on the left had fiery red hair and large blue wings as well. But the figure in their middle scared them the most.

The figure in the middled was wearing a dark blue naval uniform. A red cape extended from his shoulders. And in his hands was the Eternal Sword. As the figure pointed the Eternal Sword forward, Derris-Kharlan sped forward. Finally as the comet was mere miles away, the figure drew back the Sword. The comet stopped at once.

As the Desians watched in fear, the red haired Seraphim drew his own sword. As he pointed the sword at them, he let out a war cry.

"Take them! Take them all!" he cried. As ordered, the thousands of angels sped forward, all drawing their own weapons. The angels flew forward at frightening speed. The Three Seraphim sped forward as well, at their lead. Before the Desian commanders could utter a single word, the angels were upon them.

As Lloyd swung the Eternal Sword forward, a large purple energy blast erupted from the blade. The beam of energy sped towards the Desians and wiped out a whole line of them. Sheena drew her cards and held them across each other. Crying out an attack in angelic language, a rain of cards, made of pure energy, poured down. The card rain sliced and wounded the Desian army, and many scrambled away for their lives.

Kratos was the first to land, and he swung his blade with a deadly force, mowing down Desian after Desian. As the angels sped forward, they finally reached the island. Not flinching at all, theyy shoved their blades forward, impaling dozens of the Desians.

The Desians finally came to and began their assault. They cut down as many angels as they could before bing struck down. They would have fought gallantly, had they been fighting for any real cause besides saving their asses. The angels and Desians fought one on one, each taking down another.

As a large group of Desians surrounded Lloyd, he grinned. His eyes glowing golden, he drew the Eternal Sword upward. Flames running up and down the blade, his body was surrounded by a thick sphere of purple energy. Repeating his attack from Mizuho, he swung the blade and the purple sphere of energy exploded, taking twenty Desians down with it.

"Lloyd!" Kratos cried. As his glowing son turned to look at him, Kratos stabbed another Desian in the face. "Eww... Lloyd! Take Sheena and enter the base! Stop Genis now!"

"What about you?" Lloyd cried, swinging his sword and accidentally killing an angel. "Oops."

"I'll lead the attack out here! Genis will be sure to send out another thousand to stop us from entering the base," Kratos explained. "You have to stop him now! I'll be fine!"

"Understood!" Lloyd cried, dropping his blade and running towards his wife. The acrobatic ninja was jumping and leaping around expertly, striking Desian after Desian down. "Sheena! We must get into the base!"

"All right!" Sheena cried back, running over to him. The pair ran forward, towards the entrance to the base. As they ran, Sheena summoned a Spirit. As they approached the door, Volt appeared and electrocuted the door. The lightning busted the circuits, making it easy to open. As Gnome appeared next to him, a great earthquake opened up and smashed the door to pieces.

As they ran in, a group of Desians chased after them, ready to stop their entrance. Sheena cried an order to Gnome. The Earth Spirit hit the ground, opening a huge fissure. The thirty Desians that were following them fell through the large crack.

"That was for Mizuho..." Sheena muttered as they entered the base.

"Sheena, quick!" Lloyd exclaimed. He grabbed his wife and pulled her behind him. The couple hid behind a small door as another thousand Desians ran past them out to the battlefield. After the last Desian had run out to the surface (And immediately stabbed in the chest), Lloyd and Sheena took off down the great runnel.

"Does the elevator work?" Lloyd asked. He didn't want to go through all the crap they had done to get to Rodyle. He hoped Genis would have at least let them go right up.

"It does now..." Sheena muttered, summoning Volt again. The Lightning Spirit shocked the internal mechanisms in the door. Finding the correct coordinates, Volt shocked them. The elevator shot down, stopping at Lloyd and Sheena.

"Alight then..." Lloyd grinned. The two entered the elevator and Volt did the rest. The Lightning Spirit shocked the mechanisms again, making the elevator work. The elevator shot up super-fast, and Lloyd and Sheena had to grab on to remain standing.

They finally arrived at the top, and appeared on a whole new level. The level they arrived at wasn't the one Rodyle had resided on. It was on the top floor, the one Sheena that used to shoot the Mana Cannon. They were at the core of the Mana Cannon.

Lloyd looked out to see the Remote Island Ranch a mile away, floating in the ocean. The great Tower he was now in was a mile away from the Ranch itself. But it had been the only way to reach the Cannon.

"Well, well," he said, staring ahead of him. "Top floor: Swords, axes, and conniving villains."

"Clever," Genis said. The Emperor was standing at the top of the core, his head not even turning. He was busy typing directions into a large super computer. The computer was linked up to the core. Genis was actually trying to control it. Presea stood nearby, her eyes fixed on Sheena and Lloyd.

"Truly, I'm surprised you made it this far," Genis admitted. "An army of angels, quite impressive. But I'm sorry to say even they will die in just a few moments. I am less then an hour away from unleashing my plot! I can't believe I once thought Half-elves and the rest could live in harmony. Bah! I've decided I'll just destroy all the rest. Much easier."

"You're wrong, Genis!" Sheena cried out. "The Cannon can't work! It will backfire on you, just like it did Rodyle! The Cannon won't listen!"

"Besides, half-elves can live in harmony!" Lloyd cried. "It doesn't matter what race you are, everyone can live together peacefully. That's what Symphonia is about!"

"You'd like me to believe that, wouldn't you?" Genis said, finally stopping. He stood up and looked at them. "That was your plan all those years ago. Well, it's been elven years, and I've seen no result. I believed in you, Lloyd. And you failed me."

As Genis continued speaking, his eyes glowed a deep red and red energy crackled around his fingertips.. "Well, I'm not so impressionable anymore! I won't believe in your simple plan for harmony! Harmony does not exist, don't you see? There is nothing but pain, and suffering! And that's exactly what I'll give to the pathetic, inferior beings of this world!"

"Genis, no!" Lloyd cried. The Emperor turned on him.

"My...name...is...Emperor!" he cried, flinging his hands up. Red Energy burst from his hands, striking both Sheena and Lloyd. As the energy burned them it struck them back. The couple fell against the back wall.

"Presea, kill them!" Emperor ordered.

"Yes, my master," Presea replied. The woman jumped from her place twenty feet up and landed on the ground without flinching. She drew her axe and swung it menacingly. "Stand and fight. Or die."

"Presea, you don't have to do this!" Lloyd exclaimed as he drew his weapons. The Eternal Sword had since reverted back to the Material Blades. "You don't have to listen to him."

"I must do as my master wishes," Presea answered simply. Above them all, Genis turned back to his computer and began typing furiously. Presea's pink hair floated gently as she drew up her axe.

"Presea, no!" Sheena cried as she threw a card at the girl. The razor-sharp card sliced across Presea's chest and left a bloody cut. Sheena stood, as did Lloyd, and the two waited for the worst.

"I am sorry," Presea, said. She swung her axe, narrowly missing Lloyd and Sheena. The two struck back, cutting her with both cards and swords. As their attacks made contact, Presea jumped back and struck yet again.

The fight had truly begun. As axe met sword, it blocked cards. Cards were thrown and swords were slice. The mighty axe blocked them all, and attacked with its own deadly force. As the three battled below, Genis paid them no attention. He was far too busy.

"That's it! _BEAST_!" Lloyd cried. At once, a great lion's head burst from his body and struck into Presea. As the pink-haired warrior was knocked back, Sheena ran up and cried "_PYRE SEAL_!"

At once, her cards caught fire and struck Presea. The young woman was knocked back farther, and many bruises could now be seen on her body. Yet, she still continued to fight at the peak of her strength.

"Your attacks are useless," she told them. "Surrender now."

"Never!"

"Then perish."

**A/N: **Sorry to leave you guys with a cliffie! Next chapter is the finale! Will Lloyd and Sheena stop Genis? Will The Emperor fall? And where does Presea fit into all of this? Find out next time, on the series final of "Heart of Darkness"!

Review, and I will update faster! The more reviews I get, the faster I'll put up Chapter Eight: Heart to Heart!

PEACE OUT!


	9. The Power of the Heart

**Disclaimer: **Unless you've been completely ignoring everything I said in the last eight chapters, you should know I don't own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, lots of people would be pretty sad. I kill off way too many people. ; )

**A/N: **First of all, sorry for the late update. I've been uber-busy and fanfiction isn't the only thing I do you know. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews! At this rate, I'll DEFINITELY have 100 review. This will be my third story to reach over 100 reviews! ALRIGHT!

Anyway, I also wanted to mention that this entire story has been a new retelling of a previous event in the ToS universe. Can anyone guess which one? It should be pretty obvious by the end of the chapter. Hint: every main character in this story plays the part of another character from ToS.

Okay enough chit-chat! Read and Review people. I know you will..

**Chapter Eight: The Power of the Heart**

Lloyd and Sheena leaned down as they prepared for the on-coming assault. Their enemy, once friend, Presea was ready to slice the two in half. Genis watched with an evil glee as he continued to input demands into the Mana Cannon.

It happened at once. Presea flew at them, her axe swinging with deadly force. The axe came down, crashing into the floor in front of them. Lloyd slashed across the girl, but missed her barely. As she retrieved her axe, Presea slashed at them yet again.

"Sheena!" Lloyd called, blocking the axe. "I can handle Presea. You go stop Genis!"

"Right!" Sheena cried, jumping up. Her cards flashing with white-hot intensity, she ran at the Half-Elf Emperor. "It stops here, Genis!"

"Oh, does it now?" Genis asked, looking at her. Madness gleamed in his eyes. He stopped typing, and turned to face her. "Very well, if you wish to fight, then I will not stop you. As soon as I finish with you, I will finish my work here. Enjoy your last moments of life."

"I intend to!" Sheena cried, running at him, throwing her first card. The card hit the wall, as Genis dodged to the side. His eyes glowing, he grinned and looked over at her.

"Is that the best you can do?" he asked, grinning evilly. "_GRAVE_!" he cried, holding up his hand. At once great stalagmites rose out of the ground and struck Sheena. As she cried out in pain, Genis cried out "_FLAME LANCE_!"

The great flaming...lance...struck Sheena as well. As her vision disappeared behind earth and fire, she could see Genis readying another spell. Just in time, she cried out "_GUARDIAN SEAL_!"

As her shield came into effect, a great geyser of water erupted beneath her. Genis had been using the Spread spell! Sheena could now tell he was being dead serious about this, he actually wanted to kill her!

"It didn't have to be this way, Sheena!" Genis cried as his spell washed away the fires he had set. "You are like me, you are a half-elf! You could have lived in my perfect world!"

"I am nothing like you!" Sheena cried. "You are no longer the Genis we once loved! You are nothing like the strong, caring boy we once knew! And that means I will feel no regrets when I defeat you!"

"Well, you are right on one account," Genis said, grinning. His body glowed bright as he prepared his next spell. "The Genis you once knew is dead. _JUDGEMENT_!"

As the beams of light struck Sheena, she tried dodging out of the way. But there is no way to effectively escape Judgement. The beams of light struck her and wounded her. Still, Sheena got back up and continued fighting.

Back over at Lloyd, things weren't going much better. Both Presea and Lloyd suffered from dangerous slashes and cuts. They had, apparently, agreed on using no Techs silently. Neither one used any form of magic. This was an honorable duel, not a magicians battle.

"You...don't have...to do this...Presea!" Lloyd cried, slashing against her with all his might.

"I must...obey my master," Presea said, blocking the attack.

"Why? Why must you listen to him?" Lloyd asked. He blocked her next attack and delivered one of his own.

"He...is my master. Genis...is my friend," Presea said in her monotone voice. "Genis will always be..my friend."

"Genis is no longer anyone's friend!" Lloyd said, grabbing her. As the two struggled, Lloyd twisted her head to face Genis. "IS that what you love? That monster?"

"I...I..." Presea was actually speechless. Her friend, her master, her love...was attacking Sheena with deadly force. Every spell he used pushed Sheena closer and closer to death.

As Genis delivered another bolt of lightning, Sheena dodged. Throwing another card, it struck Genis in the shoulder. Sheena cried out two spells and Genis burst into flames. As the Emperor roared, he was then thrown into the air. He struck a pillar and roared yet again.

"Genis..." Presea said, her eyes changing. They were no longer the ones that held no emotion. They were filled with worry, with fear. She had come back to normal. "Genis, no..."

"I am sick of this!" Genis roared. "_INDIGNANT JUDGEMENT_!" he cried. All three of the other combatants screamed out loud as the attack hit them. Their bodies were being fried from the inside out, and they couldn't stop it. Even Presea cried out in pain and horror.

"Genis, no!" she cried, picking up her axe. "Martel forgive me..." she muttered as she ran. Her axe raised above her head, she ran at the roaring Emperor. Evil energy flowed around him, crackling and smashing. Walls began to break and collapse as his dark magic struck pillars and walls.

"GENIS FORGIVE ME!" Presea cried, swinging her axe. As Genis looked over, his eyes widened. He was seeing his most trusted servant run at him, about o rip him in half.

"Presea, what are you..."

He never finished his sentence as Presea brought down her axe on top of him. As he cried out in pain, dark magic blasted out of his body, striking Presea down. Genis grabbed at his stomach, which was now openly bleeding all over the damn place.

"No..." he muttered, realizing he was dying. "If I die...I'm taking all of you with me!" he cried. Jumping up, he ran over to the Mana Cannon controls. Typing in the final coordinational directions, the computer glowed with life. The Mana Cannon began to glow bright as it sprang into action.

"My dream will succeed...I will rule!" he cried, growing weaker every second.

"No..Genis, I'm sorry!" Sheena cried, holding up one last card. As she muttered one final incantation, the card glowed with life. The rest of them could see a heart painted on the card.

"No..." Genis muttered. "You wouldn't dare."

"That choice is not hers!" came the voice of the summon spirit Sheena had just summoned. As a rainbow of colors flooded the room, Verius was summoned.

Lloyd and Sheena huddled together, helping each other stand. Presea was close to tears at what was happening. Genis just stared at the Spirit with hate in his eyes.

"And what are you going to do? Kiss me?" Genis said, maniacal laughter escaping his lips.

"Something like that," Verius replied, smiling. As he opened his mouth, it began to glow a great pink. Letting out an otherworldly tune, the pink energy burst from his mouth.

Geni's eyes widened as the pink energy beam struck him in the heart. As the pink energy flowed around his body, visions flew through his head at impossible speeds. His eyes widened.

He saw himself as a young boy, helping Lloyd with his homework. He saw himself helping Colette stand back up after she tripped. He saw himself protecting both his friends in a magical battle. He saw himself trying his best to impress an emotionless Presea. He saw himself betraying his friend Mithos to save the rest of his friends. He saw himself praying to Martel that Lloyd and Sheena would win against Destron.

And then he saw the more recent times. He saw Raine die at the hands of some amateur bandits. He saw himself tell off Presea. He saw himself murder a gang of humans. He saw himself commanding thousands of Desian troops. And he saw himself destroying the entire world.

"NOOOO!" he cried, holding his hands to his head. "MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE, MAKE IT STOP!"

As the Emperor fell to his knees, Presea ran over to him. Lloyd and Sheena followed her. Genis was on the ground, his eyes wide with fear, his hands gripping his head.

"What have I done..." Genis muttered, his voice filled with fear and suffering. "What have I done!"

"Genis, it's okay," Lloyd said, holding his friends hand. "We can get you through this. We can all leave together."

Suddenly, the moment was ruined as a loud boom could be heard from the Cannon. All four looked over to see the Mana Cannon was glowing brightly. It was about to fire!

"Genis, we need your help!" Sheena cried, asking her friend, her enemy. "We can't shut down the Cannon! If we don't stop it, everyone will die!"

"You're right..." Genis said, realizing his mistake. "The Cannon can't be controlled, I've been a fool. Martel, what have I done?"

"Genis, please," Presea said, holding Genis' hand. "We cannot stop he Cannon. We need your help. I know you can do it."

"The Cannon...can't be stopped," Genis said. "At least...not by you three."

"Genis, what are you talking about?" Lloyd said. "We're not letting you do it yourself!"

"You have to!" Genis exclaimed, yelling at him. "I'm the only one here with enough black magic to stop it. None of you have the kind of power I have!"

"Genis, I can use the Summon Spirits..." Sheena tried.

"No, it's too risky," Genis explained. "Using their mana could just as easily set off the Cannon. I'm the only one that stop it. You three have to go, escape! I will stay here and stop the Cannon. There will be an explosion, so you three must escape."

"We're not leaving you!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"You have no choice." Genis sighed. "Stopping the Cannon will force it to explode. The explosion will kill all within the range of the core, right here. I will die, but you three can still live. I have done enough evil already, and I won't let you three get hurt."

"But Genis..." Sheena said. Presea looked close to tears.

"Just let me do this," Genis. "I will not die a monster. I will pay for my sins by saving the world I once despised. Now, go."

"Genis..." Presea muttered.

"GO!" he cried, turning to face the core of the Mana Cannon. "I will not have your blood on my hands as well!"

At once, Lloyd and Sheena jumped up and ran for the exit, looking back at their friend. This would be the last time they ever saw Genis. They were glad it was when he was sane again, as their friend. As Sheena and Lloyd sprouted wings and took to the sky, Presea looked back.

"Genis, I cannot leave you!" she cried, her eyes watering. "I love you, and I can't leave you like this!"

"You have to," Genis said sadly. "I must stop this machine, it is my responsibility. But Presea?" he asked. She looked at him, still sobbing. "I always love you. I will miss you, my love."

And with that, Genis turned back to the Mana Cannon core. As Presea ran behind him, he smiled. "I will always love you, Presea."

Facing the core, he stretched out his arms. Roaring, he forced all of the dark magic he had accumulated into the core itself. As the pumped round after round of magic into the core, it began to shake violently.

"I will not die a monster!" he cried, letting all his magic loose.

_Then don't die, _came a mysterious voice. Turning, Genis faced the ghostly image of Mithos Yggdrasill.

_Those pathetic beings out there don't care for you. They never did,_ Mithos told him. _Come back to me, Genis. Together, we can rule this world again. Together._

"No..." Genis said. "I am no longer your puppet, I am no longer your friend. Your legacy ends here, tonight! You don't control me anymore!"

_Good for you, Genis,_ came yet another voice. Genis looked to the other side to see his sister, Raine. Her ghostly image took over Mithos', and she and to him like she had always done before.

_I am sorry I could not help you before, Genis,_ Raine said, sad. _But I am proud of you. What you are doing is right. I couldn't ask for a better brother._

"Thank you...sister," Genis said, pumping mor and more black magic into the core. As the tower began to shake violently, Genis stumbled. As he fell, he felt two hands stop his fall. Presea.

"Presea, I thought I told you to leave..." Genis said, panting. "I...can't make you stay here."

"You don't have to," Presea said, picking him back up. "Without you, my life would be pointless. I cannot live without you."

"Presea..." Genis said.

"I love you Genis," Presea said, kissing him. "And I will never leave your side again."

"Very well," Genis said, taking her hand. As the two stood up, they embraced yet again. Still holding hands, the pair approached the core. Holding up the hands that weren't being held, a blast of dark magic erupted from both of them.

"IT ENDS HERE!" Genis cried, his eyes wild. All of their black magic was being ripped from them, into the core. The core began to shake and implode in various areas.

"FOR SYMPHONIA!" the pair cried, releasing them selves into the core. As the core exploded, the pair was vaporized. The tower collapsed as the Mana Cannon exploded. Chunks of rock and stone fell into the ocean as the battle outside ceased.

It was over. The saga of the Half-Elf Emperor had ended.

: Two Weeks Later :

In the quaint little village of Iselia, six figures were gathered around a large grave stone. Colette Wilder cried openly as Zelos held her close, his own eyes watering. Regal stood watching the stone, his eyes sore and bloodshot. Even Kratos shed a tear for the pair that the gravestone belonged to.

Sheena cried openly as well. Lloyd hugged her close. His own eyes were suspiciously dry, like Regal's. His sore eyes were set on the gravestone. With all the strength he could muster, he read the stone yet again to himself.

_Genis Sage Presea Combatir_

_Two friends, two lovers._

_The path they chose was never certain._

_But in the end, all that mattered_

_Was their love for each other._

Finally, Lloyd let out a tear. Three of his best friends were now dead, and he had been unable to stop it. He looked around at the rest of them. At one point, even they would be dead.

But that's not what's important, he realized. What is important is appreciating the time we have left. Lloyd looked down at his wife, who was now smiling back up at him. Gently, he smile back.

"Come on," he said, tugging her closer. "Let's go home."

**THE END**

**A/N: **And that's all, folks. Man, I hope you guys like this story as much as I loved writing it. This is the final chapter and conclusion to Heart of Darkness. I want to personally thank each and every one of you for reading and reviewing this story. If it wasn't for your great reviews, I wouldn't be here. I'd probably be spending my time working at Subway, or something. So thanks.

No, to tell you guys the retelling. This entire plot is a loose retelling of the end of Tales of Symphonia. Each of the characters represented a major Seraphim from the game. For example, Genis played Mithos. Raine was Martel, and Kratos was Yuan. Presea played the part of Kratos, being the trusted servant that turned on her master. And Lloyd and Sheena played...themselves! They played the same roles in both storylines!

Well, I hope you enjoyed this story. Glad I could provide you all with quality story-telling. So, until next time:

**PEACE OUT!**


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